out of the back seat. The sunlight hit my eyes as I emerged to a pleasantly warm

ting excitedly, some carrying laptops while others huffed with an armful of thick books under their arms

people, with emotions was staggering. Yet I loved it. I

ed the car and was looking at me. He was the newest addition to my staff —

f expecting him to crash the car. For a new driver, the boy was actually pretty good — a bit nervous and unsure, but with practice, he’d be fine. When I found out he had applied to study at the universi

r and ran off toward the building with his heart racing with excitement. I smiled when Graham ci

was a dinner with Director Cho at eight, but he called to cancel because his daughter went into labor, so you h

nterest, some with annoyance and jealousy. I can hear their words almost as if I was standing beside them,

to succeed in this world. And I had seen through numerous businesses and ventures I had made a success. N

al person.

teeth and nails that could tear through metal. Al

a food stall or a bakery nearby. There was nothing of the sort in the parking lot or the nearby streets veer

eyes examining the crowd that was still watching us. I gave t

here a place where we ca

his place. I was pretty sure he had come before today to do just that, but he took his job of protecting me very seriously. Even though I didn’t need it as much as he thou

been right to suggest we went directly to the staff’s parking lot. I had insisted we parked the car in the student section so I could get a feel of the place and look around, but my Mer

been so busy in the past few months that I had barely had interactions outside of business dinners, meetings, and work

building with glass walls and a bright, airy foyer. The place looked d

it took my breath away and made my head spin. I froze, trying to steady myself while the two girls did the same, staring at me with wide eyes b

ound everyone staring at my abrupt appearance, but I didn’t care. I took in each person’s smell one by one, then that of the food displayed behin

have heard him even if they were standing next to us. His eyes were tense, a

counter, and behind it. It was almost like a thin piece of thread that had touched everything in this place just minute

were several doors there. A bathroom. A room for

taff room, my hand reaching for t

My eyes took in the woman ⁠— short, petite and with shoulder-long brown hair cut slightly askew. Her lipstick was halfway gone, leaving only a bit around the edges of her

Half-closed eyes and fluttering eyelids that were suppos

allowed in the staff room,” she said in a gentler v

smile, trying to ge

felt lightheaded for a moment and I was searching for the bathroom.

d of the corridor. “The door to the left, next to the exit. Can I get you

d hear her heartbeat racing. “Cream, two s

arking something at them. I let my smile drop and strode to the end of the corridor. Glancing at the bathroom door, I

ay made me cringe my nose but even then, I could still sense that scent. It lingered around this place, past the tr

ng at Graham’s concerned expression. He was already ho

if he was determined to find what I was looking for, but the look he gave me wa

ee I had tasted in my life. Hearing my heart race, Graham tensed, his ha

fee in it. Graham took a sip from his, grimaced, then did the same. “I want you to find me the names

frowned. “Is i

und me, calling me, luring me, begging me to find it. “On the contrary, this mi

roaned, rolling his eyes. “Did y

a happy smile blossoming on

t still, I could barely stop myself from running after that thread that kept pulli