Time for mind control

You wait until Abby leaves the conference room and the door shuts behind her before you lean forward on the table and clasp your hands together. Across the table from you, Ashley mimics your hand movement, although she maintains her upright posture. She seems quite charming and might even be delightful, but there's something about her confidence that makes you mad. Maybe it's because she's supposed to be a genius according to Abby, and she thinks she's going to outsmart you.

"Is there anything I can offer that would be acceptable?" you ask.

Ashley shakes her head. "I want it all," she says.

Holding her gaze for a while longer, you sigh internally, knowing what you have to do in order to keep Nigel's estate and the women bound to you by contract. Shifting your fingers, you activate your mind control ring. Ashley's eyes have now looked down at your hands and rings, but it doesn't matter. She won't remember any of this.

"You'll drop the request for the DNA test results and for the judge to award Nigel's estate to you," you say, looking at Ashley. It seems to register in her head and you're about to suggest a few other things when Ashley suddenly chuckles. You're puzzled and you pause, wondering if you were mistaken about the chuckle. Ashley's still smiling eerily confidently while looking back at you.

"Do you understand what I just said?" you say, sensing that something might be wrong. It's her eyes, you realize. Usually, when you use your mind control power, the affected person's eyes glaze over a little as your commands take effect.

"I do," Ashley says.

You can't tell if she means it or is mocking you. "Stand up," you say. Ashley remains sitting. Confused, you look at the magic ring on your ring to make sure you had activated its power and it seems correct. When you look back at Ashley, she raises her right hand to tuck her hair behind her right ear, revealing something she's wearing on her ear. It looks like a sophisticated hearing aid. You start to wonder if it's because she couldn't hear you properly that your magic ring's power failed.

Ashley seems to read your mind. "It's not a hearing aid. It's a neural booster and it protects my brainwaves," she explains. You're about to ask a question, when you realize it would mean admitting to trying to mind control her. Again, she's a step ahead of you. "Yes, it blocks the effect of your mind control ring. It's my own design. Neat, right? In fact, with just a few modifications, I could tune it to amplify my brainwaves to project onto other people."

You don't know what to say. Somehow, this genius knows about your mind control ring. How is it possible, you wonder. And does she know about all your rings?

"Don't bother with invisibility either," Ashley says, pointing at her eyes. "Special contact lenses."

You don't know what to say. Ashley goes on. "That leaves, super strength, although you wouldn't want to make a scene here. Teleportation, which might buy you some time to regroup and try to think of something. Or stopping time, but," Ashley raises her right wrist and shows you a unique watch that must also be custom made by her. "This watch is powered by tachyon particles that syncs time around me to about 10 feet. That means, usually, it's just a normal watch. But around your ring, it negates its effect," she says.

You activate the ring to freeze time, and indeed it doesn't work as Ashley waves at you from across the conference room table, still smiling confidently. Ashley then winks at you and stands to left. "I'll see you in 3 days at my late father's estate with the DNA results and the judge's decision," she says.

You're stunned and all you can do is sit there with your mouth open.