"Annelise." She heard a familiar voice echo in the void of darkness.
"Mom?"
"Annelise, what happened to your brother?" The voice shook this time, teary and painful as the void of darkness transformed into Kristen's hospital room.
He lay on the hospital bed as usual, breathing, and heart beating only because of the machines connected to his body. But their mother was next to him. She was wearing the very same dress she had on the last time Anne saw her years ago before she died.
"Annelise, what happened to Kristen, why is he like this?"
Anne felt her heart twist into an unbearably painful knot. Guilt and pain descended into her rapidly.
She was once again reminded that she had failed. She had failed terribly to protect her brother who was left in her care.
She could see the questions in her mother's eyes, the pain, the disappointment.
"Mom... I'm sorry."
"You can't let him die, Annelise, you have to save his life. You have to save him, Annelise. You have to...."
Her mother's voice faded away, drifting off like the wind, and Anne found herself waking up in an unfamiliar room.
No, this room was definitely familiar.
It was the familiar master bedroom within Black Thorn Manor.
The thick black curtains were still drawn, concealing the sun whose rays were filtering in through the cracks.
When she moved, the pain in her midsection was faint. And she was now fully clothed.
Anne's mind went back to the memories from last night.
She had been ready to give herself to the masked demon, but pain had swallowed her until her vision began to turn dark. She could recall the last thing she saw, the masked demon holding her close till she glimpsed his eyes beneath the mask right before her vision turned dark.
Anne buried her head in her palms.
"Why did I have to pass out at that time? I still couldn't fulfill the contract."
"Miss Thompson, you're awake." Butler Jones entered the room, addressing her respectfully.
Anne quickly scrambled off the bed, careful not to tear her wound open again.
"Good morning, Butler Jones."
The man chuckled. "Well, it's already way past noon."
"Past noon? How long have I been sleeping for?"
"Your wound must have been hurting really bad. The doctor said you needed a good rest, so he administered an injection that would help you sleep. I was beginning to wonder if the dose was too much, since you've been out for two days now."
"Two days?!" Anne exclaimed before she started looking around for her bag.
"Would you like something to eat? I'll have the staff cook for you."
"No, thank you, Butler Jones. I have to leave now."
'Kristen, I haven't gone to see him in days!'
After she left the Sterling Hospital, she had planned to go to the Verizon City Hospital to see Kristen; however, she'd had to come to the Black Thorn Manor. She didn't expect to actually sleep for two whole days.
"Thank you, but I have to leave now."
"Master said that..."
Before the butler could voice his message, she had already raced out of the room.
"... the doctor will fully treat your injury so you can come back here every day." He finished what he was saying to the empty room and then sighed.
***
The young man on the hospital bed looked pale. The hair on his head was like full brown fur, fluffy and dense. His face was youthful and one could guess was once handsome if it weren't for the cold lifelessness with which he lay on the bed, with tubes connected through his mouth.
Anne once again felt that pang of guilt upon seeing Kristen. The face she recalled in her memories was vibrant and playful. The young boy who would mischievously pull pranks on her yet stand to protect her from any outsiders who wanted to hurt her. That young boy was fighting for his life every single day.
"Nothing will happen to you, Kris, I promise." Anne let the tears fall without holding them back. She grabbed Kristen's cold hand and sobbed brokenly.
Sterling Enterprises, company building.
Within a luxuriously spacious office that boasted of a sleek, futuristic, professional-looking setting, a man could be seen sitting behind the glass table in a swiveling chair.
"Did she come back to the manor last night?"
The butler stiffened when he heard his boss's voice over the phone.
"No, Master, she was in a hurry when she woke up at noon yesterday and ran out. She left before I could tell her to live at the manor till she recovers. Should I give her a call and let her know that you..."
"No need. Since she left on her own, let her be."
He hung up the call after saying that. Without realizing why, Andrew suddenly felt a bout of anger that led him to clench his fists tightly over the table.
Anne reported to the public relations department early that morning. She was directed into the office of the manager.
Anne was surprised to find an extremely young woman sitting inside the office looking to be in her mid twenties at least; she'd assumed the manager would be some middle-aged man.
The manager of the public relations department had a friendly smile as she looked at Anne. Her eyes were like pearls as they seemed to sparkle. She had a beautiful round face with soft features that would captivate one's gaze till they wouldn't be able to look away.
'She looks...very beautiful.' Anne couldn't help but marvel. This woman was the kind of beauty men would chase after like dogs.
"Are you Miss Anne Thompson?" She asked in a warm-sounding voice that would instantly make anyone feel comfortable. Sh had a calm and sweet aura and anyone would instantly feel relaxed around her.
"Yes, ma'am."
"Welcome to the public relations department, Anne. I received your transfer letter. Come with me; I'll show you your position on the team."
Anne nodded gratefully and followed behind her.
The public relations department was a full office on its own, its staff diligently focused on their work.
"As you can see, Anne, everyone here is hardworking, so I hope you can adjust to the environment."
"Yes, ma'am, I'll do my best." Anne was given her own cubicle.
"You can call me Clara. We're a family here in this department."
Anne couldn't help but marvel at how friendly the woman was. Her every action was graceful, like someone who had the word elegance imprinted in their brain. She was very grateful that she didn't have to deal with an unkind boss.
When Anne finally got settled on her duties, she focused keenly on going through the files Clara assigned to her for familiarization. She didn't notice how the other employees sent furtive glances in her direction, all of them grabbing their phones while doing so.
**Jessica:** [Is that her?] A message popped into the group chat.
**Mathew:** [Yes, Clara said she would introduce her later at a team dinner. She really started here today after being nothing but a mere assistant.]
**Rebecca:** [I can't believe this still happens in this day and age, using sneaky connections to get a job and still shamelessly show up here amongst us who worked hard for the spot.]
**Jessica:** [Careful what you say, I heard it was Chairman Sterling himself who signed her transfer letter.]
**Lukas:** [That's impossible, you must have heard wrong. Just look at her, why would Chairman Sterling help someone like her? She looks like an average rookie with no skills whatsoever.]
**Mathew:** [I think she's really pretty though.]
**Rebecca:** [Looks without skills in this day and age is a waste. She schemed her way into this department.]
**Kendra:** [Guys, what do you say we make her regret coming here?]
**Lukas:** [I'm in!]
**Rebecca:** [Haha! She's going to resign in a week.]
**Jessica:** [A week? That's giving her too much credit. I'll say a day or two.]
Anne was completely clueless when someone walked up to her cubicle, smiling widely.
"Hey!" Someone suddenly called behind her, startling her.