The Final Medical Bill

The elevator ride was silent. It was not a silence. It was the kind of silence that happens before something bad happens. Elara looked at herself in the brass doors of the elevator. She looked like a ghost. Her eyes were empty. Her nerves were frayed. Julian Sterling stood beside her. He was a man with expensive clothes.He did not look at her. He did not need to. He just stood there.The doors opened with a sound. It felt like a warning that something bad was going to happen. They were not in the hospital anymore. They were on the "Executive Level". This place did not smell like a hospital. It smelled like flowers and clean air.Julian said "Go in”. It was not a question.He took her to an office with glass walls. The office looked out over the city. The city looked like a mess of lights.. From up high it looked pretty. Julian sat down at a desk made of black stone. He did not offer her a seat.He pulled out a piece of paper from a leather folder. He slid it across the desk. "Read th

The stylists Julian mentioned weren't people; they were a storm.Soon as the helicopter landed on the grass of Blackwood Manor, Elara was swept away into a world of marble, gold and women with measuring tapes. They looked at her like she was a piece of furniture that needed fixing. They washed the hospital dirt from her skin painted her face to look perfect and put her in a midnight- silk dress that felt like a second skin.By the time they were done the girl from the diner was gone. In her place was a stranger with glowing skin and a diamond on her finger that felt heavy."You're late " a voice said from the doorway.Julian stood there lean and dangerous in a tuxedo. His eyes looked her up and down. For a second he seemed to soften. His gaze lingered on her neck then dropped to the diamond."The dress works " he said, his voice low. "Try not to trip on the hem. I’ve already paid for the carpet I’d rather not pay for your work too.""You really know how to sweep a girl off her feet "

The keycard felt sharp against Elara's palm. It was a reminder that she was not a guest or a pawn, she was a thief. The hallway of the Sterling estate was really quiet. It was so quiet that it felt scary. The air was thick with the smell of sandalwood and the sound of a security system.Every step Elara took on the marble floor sounded loud to her. She reached the door at the end of the hall. This was not Julian's bedroom, it was his room. Even the senior staff were not allowed to enter this room. Elara's breath caught as she used the keycard to unlock the door. The door made a sound and then a loud thud as it opened.Elara went inside. The door closed behind her. It made a sound that made her stomach feel weird.The room was really different from the rest of the estate. It had lights on the floor and big screens on the wall. There were no family pictures or books, machines and computers. Elara did not go to the desk she went to the server terminal. Her fingers were shaking as she tou

The night of the party came finally. It was really cold and fancy. Blackwood Manor did not look like a house anymore. It looked like a stage. Every fountain was like a light and every guest was like a judge. Every smile was fake.Elara was sitting in front of the mirror. She had the drive hidden in her shoe. She had taken it from Julian's desk. She had been practicing how to look like she was in love with Julian.. She was not in love with him. He was a person.Someone knocked on the door. It was Julian. He did not wait for her to say come in, he just walked in. He was wearing a suit and he looked really handsome.. He was not a good person. He looked at Elara and said "The guests are arriving." He walked behind her and put his hands on her shoulders. His hands were big and cold."You look really beautiful" he said. Elara did not say anything. She just looked at him. "Is that what you mean?" she asked. "Do you mean I look like I am doing what you want me to do?"Julian's hands got a lit

The transition from the dark of Blackwood Manor to the pain of being awake was not easy. It was like being pulled to life violently.Elara’s eyes opened,. She couldn't see anything clearly. A bright harsh light hit her eyes making them hurt a lot. She tried to lift a hand to cover her eyes. Her arm wouldn't move. A heavy weight was holding her wrist down on a surface. She tried the other arm but it was stuck too.She started to feel scared and worried. She took a breath but the air tasted bad like copper and ozone."Don't struggle, Ms. Vance. It will only make you more stressed and we need you to be calm for this " a voice said.The voice was cold, it didn't sound human. It was familiar. Elara couldn't quite place it. She turned her head and saw Miller standing at the foot of her bed. He was wearing a white lab coat of his tactical gear but he still had a gun at his hip.She wasn't in the manor's basement anymore. This room was smaller, it didn't look as fancy. The walls were made of