Chapter 549 Prosthetic Mask
Ashley regained consciousness slowly, her vision adjusting to the dim light of a basement. The musty, damp air filled her nostrils as she took in the cluttered room around her.
"Finally awake, are you?" Andrei asked.
He didn't look up from his work at a table, where he appeared to be crafting something that resembled a face.
"Who hired you to kidnap me?" Ashley demanded, trying to move but discovering her wrists and ankles were bound securely to the bed.
Fear coursed through her, but she fought to maintain her composure. Staying calm was her only chance of escape.
"That hardly matters now," Andrei replied. "What matters is that I've found you again, Pearl. Do you really not remember me?"
Ashley studied his face carefully. "We've met before?"
The man seemed genuinely disappointed by her blank expression.
"You don't remember me at all?"
Andrei picked up what he'd been working on and approached her, dabbing her face with antiseptic.
"Stop! What are you doing?" Ashley cried, jerking her head away. "What is that?"
"Just alcohol to sterilize your skin. Hold still."
Her eyes widened in terror when she spotted what lay on the tray beside him—a realistic-looking facial prosthetic.
"What are you planning to do?" she asked, panic rising in her voice. "Get away from me!"
"It doesn't matter if you don't remember me, Pearl. It will all come back to you eventually."
Despite her struggles, Andrei managed to press the prosthetic mask onto her face, working methodically along the edges.
"Stop fighting!" he growled when she wouldn't stay still. "Unless you want me to hurt you."
Ashley glared at him with murderous intent but forced herself to calm down. Antagonizing him now might cost her any chance of escape.
Once she stopped resisting, Andrei quickly applied adhesive around the edges of the mask.
"What is this thing? Why are you putting it on me?" she asked, trying to keep her voice steady.
"A facial prosthetic—my master's secret technique. With this, you'll look completely different. We'll easily evade the police."
A flicker of hope ignited in Ashley's heart. Ethan must be searching for her. But that hope quickly died as she realized that with this disguise, he might walk right past her without recognition. She needed to find her own way out.
Her eyes darted around, landing on a basin of water nearby.
Andrei caught her gaze. "Don't bother. Ordinary water won't remove it. My master's techniques aren't so easily undone."
Changing tactics, Ashley asked, "You said we knew each other. When did we meet?"
"Drink this water first, then I'll tell you everything." He held a cup to her lips.
She eyed it suspiciously, keeping her mouth closed.
"It's not poison," he insisted, forcibly tilting her head back and making her swallow several mouthfuls. She coughed and sputtered.
"Another of my master's formulas. It won't harm you, but your voice will be completely different."
"You're insane!" she spat, then froze at the sound of her own voice—now resembling that of an elderly woman.
"Impressive, isn't it?" Andrei held up a mirror. "Look at your new face. Quite the transformation."
Ashley stared in shocked silence at her reflection. The face looking back at her was that of an octogenarian woman. Even Ethan wouldn't recognize her now.
"Your master must be a criminal, teaching techniques that help people escape justice," she said bitterly.
Andrei's expression darkened instantly. "Don't you dare insult my master!"
"What? Can't handle the truth? You're using these skills to commit crimes and avoid punishment. This technology should be destroyed," she pressed on. "Is that even your real face?"
Andrei glared at her, then unexpectedly broke into a smile. "You know, Pearl, you said almost exactly the same thing the first time you saw this technique years ago. Even with your memory gone, you react the same way."
Ashley turned away in disgust, refusing to look at him.
"Let me tell you about our past," Andrei began, but was interrupted by sudden commotion outside—shouting and the sound of movement.
A voice boomed through a megaphone, "We have the building surrounded! Release the hostage immediately!"
Ashley's heart leapt with joy.
That voice... it was Ethan!
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