The Unpredicted Ascendance Of Ashton Pearce

MASTER MANIPULATOR

Ashton took a deep breath, feeling the magnitude of Rebecca’s question hang in the air. Everyone’s eyes were on him, waiting for his response. He could feel the tension in the room grow thicker with each passing second. His mind raced, contemplating the best way to handle this situation.

He had always known Rebecca to be a master manipulator, someone who thrives on chaos and conflict. This question was a deliberate attempt to stir the pot, to create friction where there was none. Ashton knew he had the option to refuse to answer, but that might only give Rebecca more ammunition. He decided it was better to confront the question head-on, rather than ignoring her like he already planned to do and going on ahead to have more drinks.

He leaned back in his chair, maintaining eye contact with Rebecca.

"Elizabeth and I are just friends," he began, his voice calm and measured. "She invited me here tonight because she thought it would be good for me to socialise and meet new people. There’s