Chapter Five

Chapter five.

Anastasia's POV.

I spend the rest of my evening in my room, stocked up with streaming on N*****x. I just feel odd, not wanting to explain anything to Kyra. Although, I think the reason for my actions are plainly differently reacted to.

I feel like there's a cloud of thoughts in my head, hovering. I stop the movie I'm currently watching when a mail drops on my laptop. Opening it, I gasp. What the heck? I was expecting Olivia's mail, not his, definitely not Mr Nicholas's.

Why would he mail me when Olivia could?

My heart thuds for unexplainable reasons as I read through the message.

Subject: Contract Approved Plus Details That Might Need Your Attention.

From: Nicholas

To: Anastasia Sanusi.

7 mins ago. View details.

Hello Miss Sanusi,

The contract has been approved, and you are encouraged to be seen tomorrow in the company, as have been told in the contract.

By the way, I hope you're having a nice evening. I am not. The kids are really in need of care, which I hope you can offer when you resume. I had them order pizza tonight. Just so you know.

Nicholas,

CEO, Eclipse Publishing company, Inc.

Oh, why would he tell me that? I mean, why-why...

Sadly, my toxic trait is telling me that he's trying to make a conversation with me.

When I'm done reading, I press on reply and think before typing.

Subject: Kids in need of a RESCUE

From: Anastasia Sanusi

To: Nicholas

3 mins ago. View details.

_ I'll do as my job requires of me.

_ Your kids really are in need of a rescue. Pizza is surely not an option they would want, but don't worry. I'll soon be there to take care of that now. L. O. L. Here, I'm yet to prepare myself dinner. Just so you know.

Anastasia.

As a new mail drop, I open it right away. The subject made my breathing hitch and my insides seem to erupt into tiny, nice bits.

Subject: In need of you

From: Nicholas

To: Anastasia Sanusi

Just now. View details.

The fact that you got that right is astounding, but then, I am not expecting less. And I'll be needing your "take care of."

Try to eat early. It's scientifically proven to be healthier.

Nicholas,

CEO, Eclipse Publishing company, inc.

I shake my head and hit reply again.

Subject: Affirmatively taken to notice.

From: Anastasia

To: Nicholas

Just now. View details.

I appreciate your concern, boss. It is taken into notice.

Anastasia.

I crack my fingers as I await his mail, that is, if it'll come. Just when I hear the drip sound of another entering, a snapping sound emit from the outside. It caught my attention, so I stand and near the opened window, breezing in the cold night air.

Out of the blue, something— like an image— fast blurs past. I can't say if it is my imagination or something real. I try to listen deeper but hear nothing. Everything is in silent until, Kyra opens the door all of a sudden, hurriedly, almost snapping my heart into two.

"Hey, when do you plan on coming out and cooking for us?" I shake my head as I huff.

"We are not cooking." What did I just say? "I—I am not cooking."

"I have a movie to watch, and I can't watch movies without having something to eat." And there goes one of her toxic traits. She always has to eat while watching a movie, so she won't get bored or maybe she's the one who thinks so. Whatever. I go to close the window.

"I'll get us popcorn, and we are watching whatever movie it is together." I say and close my laptop before heading out of the room, leaving Kyra behind.

She scoffs, "oh, since when did you become the rogue in this friendship?"

"Thank God you said friendship, so don't act like you're a-splash-my mom."

"Ah," she fakes a heart attack, adding effect to it by putting her hands on her chest and having a pained facial expression. I laugh at her ridiculousness.

"That's so touching, brutally touching." I know. I know. I just insulted her not to act like my mom, whilst also making it known that she's no mom either.

"I'm sorry."

"You better make me eat the most of the Popcorn." She says, pouting and going to sit on the couches to turn on the television.

In the kitchen, as I pour the popcorn into a ceramic bowl, I hear a distant unidentifiable sound and looking out of the window, my eyes caught a glow. Wait, is that a glowing eyes? My, oh, my. Just when I thought, my imagination couldn't go any worse.

The figure shifts, but its eyes isn't staring elsewhere and that's when I realize I might be going crazy. I can't even make sense of the figure, but I can tell it's huge, probably the size of a lion and has the growl of a wolf. It's weird to even explain it to myself.

I blink my eyes. The creature is still there. I don't think this is imaginative. Just then, Kyra walks into the room.

"Babe, what is delaying?"

"Kyra, are you seeing that?" I ask her and not wanting to look away, I use my hands to gesture for her to come closer.

"What?"

Hurriedly, I shift my gaze and call her to come and when I return my gaze, I see an empty, mute street.

Jeez!

"What is it?"

"I thought I saw a cute rabbit, but I think it's just a shadow or something." I lie oddly comfortably. It's nothing: I try to lie to myself, as well.

Kyra narrows her eyes at me. Laughing, I wave her stare away and walk to the living room with a plate of popcorn and two cartons of milk in my hands.

The rest of the night is spent streaming movies. When I start to feel sleepy, I make a mental note to remember responding to Mr Nicholas's mail, but eventually, I sleep off without doing that.

The next morning, I wake up on the couch...again, but nicely on Kyra's laps. She's snoring lightly, and I'm watching her with amusement on my face. Her hands move out of the blue, and she catches me watching her.

"Pervert..." She's having a nice time drawling that word and clearly putting emphasis on it.

I giggle and stand up, readying myself for the new day. When I check the time, I realize I have just two hours and seven minutes before I get to the Eclipse company.

With that in mind, I begin to arrange the room. Kyra sleeps throughout until when I finish and wake her up for tea time. She mutters a "thank you," and cups herself on the couch and presses her phone.

I head to the room to take a shower. In the room, I make a mental evaluation of how today will go. I would learn new things from Olivia. I might meet Sebastian Hunter, oh, maybe I'll ask Olivia why the first son of Mr Cole Hunter, the Third, will be working under Mr Nicholas. Or, maybe I will not. I think I should just ask Sebastian, himself. And then, in the evening, after work, I'll leave with Mr Nicholas to his house and see his kids. I wonder what they look like and their attitude.

An odd vibe tells me they will be loving of me, but I can't be sure. I just want to be optimistic with my day.

After I'm done dressing up after many delays of what to wear, I settle for an orange gown that stops below my knees, curvaceous in every part and elastic to the touch, and exposing a bit of my cleavage.

I had applied light makeup, so when I think I'm ready to leave, I pick a matching, silver chained bag and drive Kyra's car to the office's building again.

As I get down and stare at the towering building, I release my nerves from spiking up and walk inside. Here goes everything.