{Four years later}
Montana
A man turned to his group of workers, his eyes blazing with anger. “Where is she?!”
The workers shrank back nervously, exchanging glances. None of them knew what to say.
“Are you all deaf?!” he roared.
“Mr. Miller… she usually comes around 9 a. m., sir,” one of them managed to reply awkwardly.
“What?!” Miller bellowed. “Workers are supposed to be here by 8 a. m.! Who does she think she is?! Just because she won Best Designer Award in a year doesn’t mean she can act however she wants!”
“Sir, we can ask Miss Rhea from the tech department to contact her,” the worker suggested awkwardly.
“Then go get her. Now!”
Soon, Rhea was brought to the office. She was surprised to see Manager Miller in the company but quickly realized why she was called.
Her stubborn friend hadn’t arrived.
“Sir, I’ll call her,” Rhea said, excusing herself to make the call.
–
On a white bed draped with a brown duvet, a phone resting on it rang, flashing the name Bestie.
Morticia, wrapped in a white towel, reached out for it.
“Morty, where are you?” Rhea asked as soon as the call connected.
“Home,” Morticia mumbled, her voice muffled as she rinsed her mouth. She went back to the bathroom to spit out the mouthwash.
“The manager is here, and he’s fuming,” Rhea said urgently.
Morticia rolled her eyes. “Tell him I’ll be there by 9:00,” she replied and ended the call before Rhea could protest.
Rhea groaned as the call ended. “God, she’s so stubborn.”
“So? Where is she?” Miller asked from behind her, and Rhea let out an awkward chuckle.
“She said she’s almost here,” Rhea lied. It was 8:30, which meant Morticia would arrive in thirty minutes.
“I’m so going to kill her,” Rhea mumbled under her breath.
–
Back in Morticia’s personal apartment, the walls painted ash gray exuded a calm yet wild aura. Morticia grabbed her toast and sat down for breakfast.
In a few minutes, she was done. Standing before the mirror, she observed her white office attire that hugged her body perfectly.
Now twenty-three, she looked more mature, beautiful, and expensive. After college, she had ventured into the world of designing-her dream.
Five months ago, she won the award for Best Designer in the City. She had kept a low profile, never revealing her identity for personal reasons. She hated attention.
Those eyes, once full of life, now belonged to a cold, beautiful woman.
“Perfect,” she mumbled to herself before leaving her apartment and heading to the company.
At the company, heads turned as she walked in. Men were swooning over her beauty, her curves captivating. Female workers whispered among themselves in envy, calling her names like proud peacock, gold digger, and worse.
But Morticia didn’t care. She had been called worse before, and she didn’t give a damn.
Upon entering the office, she noticed Mr. Miller was gone, but her friend was glaring at her.
“You’ve got to be kidding me, Morty. Miller was about to rip my head off,” Rhea complained.
“Good news. Your head is still intact,” Morticia said dryly.
“You might lose your job, Morty. You need to follow the company’s protocol,” Rhea scolded.
“He won’t fire me. We understand each other so well,” Morticia smirked and walked past her, heading to the elevator that led to Miller’s office.
_
Inside Miller’s office, the man glared at her, but she remained unfazed.
“Hi,” she greeted, sitting down and crossing her legs.
“You really need to stop acting like you own the place. Workers will start suspecting the wrong things,” Miller said.
“What wrong things? They all know I start work at 9 a. m. I have a lot to do in the mornings before coming in,” Morticia replied, her tone indifferent.
Miller sighed. “Fine. 9 a. m. it is. Let’s talk about the competition. We have until tomorrow before the announcement. I just need to confirm you’ve done a great job. Winning first prize will help this company collaborate with Scarlett Holdings. It’s one of the biggest companies… we can’t lose this opportunity.”
“Don’t you trust me?” Morticia tilted her head slightly, feeling a twinge of offense.
“I do,” Miller replied quickly, clearing his throat.
“Good.” She stood, picking up her purse. “If you’ll excuse me, Mr. Miller, I have work waiting for me,” she said and left the office.
–
As Morticia returned to her department, her team greeted her. Some, however, hissed in secret, their displeasure evident.
As their leader, Morticia was strict, but she excelled at her job.
“How’s work going?” Rhea asked as they had lunch together.
“Good,” Morticia replied, sipping her juice. “Ugh… this always hits the spot.”
“The announcement is tomorrow. Aren’t you curious?” Rhea asked.
Morticia smirked. “I’ll take first place. Trust me,” she said, taking another sip.
–
Later that night, Morticia returned home to find Vincent sitting in her living room, waiting for her. He hadn’t changed much-except for the trace of a beard and the lifeless look in his eyes.
“How did you get the passcode?” she asked, her expression annoyed.
“Because you’re my sister. Does it matter? Why are you doing this? When are you coming back to Washington? When are you coming home?” he asked, standing up.
“Can’t I live on my own?” Morticia asked flatly.
“At least visit. It’s been almost a year, Morticia. You don’t even care about the well-being of your family,” Vincent scolded.
“I’m tired from work and need to rest,” Morticia said, walking to her room.
Vincent didn’t stop her. Ava had asked him to check on her, and seeing her was enough.
As Vincent left the apartment, he received a call from the hospital and immediately headed there.
“How is he?” he asked the doctor tending to Old Evan.
“He has passed the critical stage and should recover fully with enough rest,” the doctor replied.
Vincent nodded. “About the bills… I’ll settle them before next week. I promise-”
“You don’t need to,” the doctor interrupted.
Vincent frowned. “Why not?”
“Someone already paid the bill,” the doctor said, nodding toward a figure behind him. “There she is.”
Vincent turned, stunned to see the woman he hadn’t seen in years.
“Nica?” he murmured in disbelief, staring at the woman in a fine gold dress, her wavy brown hair cascading over her shoulders.
Her smooth skin glowed, and she looked stunning.
Nica smiled. “Hello, Vincent. Long time no see.”