Hannah stared at her phone screen, reading Elizabeth's message. A small smile curved her lips. Although Elizabeth had included some advice, asking Hannah to be careful during her trip to Japan, the middle-aged woman wrote at the text's end: "Have fun with Ashton."

Oh, Elizabeth, always something, Hannah thought.

Elizabeth didn't know about the drama between Ashton and Gloria, which still made Hannah feel uneasy. Hopefully, Gloria wouldn't stir up any more trouble, but Hannah thought it best to let Ashton handle it if she did.

When Hannah saw Ashton approach with two cups of drinks, she shoved her phone into her bag. Ashton handed her one of the cups...