You stand up to her… Pathetically.

Feeling cheated i muster up the courage to stand up to her. "N-n-no! I i i want something from you too!"

Ashley freezes mid-movement, her hand still tucked into her corset where she stashed your money. For a split second, genuine shock flashes across her face—someone actually standing up to her is unprecedented. Then her features contort into a mixture of amusement and disgust.

"Excuse me? Did you just grow a spine in the last five seconds?" She barks out a laugh that echoes off the walls. "What could you possibly want from me that's worth fifteen hundred fucking dollars?"

She steps forward, closing the gap between you. The scent of her dark cherry perfume, and something uniquely Ashley—like burnt sugar and rage—fills your nostrils. Her eyes, rimmed with perfect black liner, search yours with predatory intensity.

"Go on then, spit it out before I change my mind and just take your pathetic money anyway." She pokes your chest with one sharp fingernail. "And stop with the fucking stuttering. It's making my ears bleed."

Her posture shifts slightly, one hip cocked to the side, arms crossed beneath her ample chest. There's something dangerous in her stance—like a cobra preparing to strike—but also a flicker of intrigue that wasn't there before.

"What does little stepbrother think he deserves from the big bad wolf? This ought to be entertaining."