Ava was lying on the large couch in the living room of Björn's office, Thomas had picked her up and carried her inside.
-She blanched. -Björn heard Thomas say. -He was talking on the phone and..." Then she stopped her words, frowned and looked at Björn: "He talked to someone. Even with the receiver to her ear, she was pale, then she started mumbling something, and that's when I approached her.
Björn tensed.
-It was Bruno who called. He must have said something to her to put her like this," he said silently, trying to decipher the connection to his brother. - Why isn't the doctor here? She hasn't woken up. -Ava began to stir in her place, the two men in front of her turned their gazes to her.
-No, no, no, no, -Ava began to gasp in fright, tears began to fall down her pale cheeks. - NO!" the scream was loud, determined and there was no hint of fear in that word, Björn felt his body bristle as he heard her, she opened her eyes and tr
Björn adjusted one of the dumbbells on his wrist, with his thumb he caressed the letter "B", they were the first ones his mother had given him before she disappeared years ago. He thought he had lost them in one of his trips, which had even infuriated and destroyed almost the entire room of that hotel room. He shook his head slowly at the memory of that scene.-Old times, Björn. -He muttered as he left his room.They knocked on the door of their suite, announcing that they could enter. Thomas looked out to inform her that the car was waiting at the front entrance of the hotel. -Let's go. -He reached for his formal suit jacket along with his coat and then they were off. On the short drive to the club, he thought quite a bit about Ava, about how she had gotten yesterday. - Is Ava in her room? -Björn asked when the car stopped in front of the place.-Yes, sir. The area is guarded by the assigned security team.-Well, I don't want any surprises
Ava typed a goodnight message to her family, and reported that she didn't yet know if she would be able to go into town for the holidays, but she would do her best.Then she lay down after a long warm bath, put on her pajamas, and just as she was about to fall asleep, there was a knock at her door. She opened her eyes and lay still, perhaps imagining she had heard a noise. But no.- Ava, are you asleep? -she heard one of her housemates, got up and went straight to open the door. When she opened it, she looked a little... alert.- What's wrong? -Ava asked.-Your former housemate, Yany, is looking for you. -Ava went to look for her, Yany was in the living room and looked very worried.- What's wrong? -Ava was already getting worried, Yany stood up and looked pale.-It's Alice, I can't find her anywhere. -Ava was surprised.- Have you already called her cell phone? -Yany nodded.-She has never missed her shift, and I think that if
Ava maneuvered her way through the forest, her clothes tattered, bearing marks on her skin from a fierce struggle to defend herself. Her nails were mostly broken, and she wore just one shoe, clueless as to when she had lost the other. All she could do now was walk away. Upon reaching her cabin on the outskirts of town, she knew she had to escape. She had been spotted with that man, and undoubtedly, he would spread rumors that he had claimed her, that she had willingly surrendered to him. By morning, the whole town would be buzzing, her parents would feel ashamed, and their neighbors would shun them for having a promiscuous daughter. What other option did she have? Leaving seemed easier at this point. Avoiding trouble. Though she had never shown any intention beyond being a tour guide to outsiders, her parents had always warned her not to be too friendly with strangers, as their intentions could be unknown. But she enjoyed engaging in conversations and meeting people from the city. Thi
After two years of living in the city that never sleeps, Ava struggled to survive. Her years of savings vanished in the blink of an eye, and when she finally found a job at a call center in the customer service department, the pay wasn't enough. But for the time being, she decided to stay there until she found something better. "Thank you for calling A&T customer service. My name is Ava Gray. How can I assist you?" Every day felt like just another day since she started working. She felt isolated among her colleagues, but she excelled at her job, and that kept her afloat for the time being. As she attended to a customer's complaint, her fingers moved nimbly across the keyboard. It had been two years since she had escaped from her village. Her parents still received a portion of her monthly salary, a way to show them that her dreams were becoming a reality. However, she often had to stretch her income to make ends meet. The image of the young woman who had fled her village had changed.
The rain had not let up since he boarded the armored van at the airport. The weather had become more irritating since the new driver assigned to take him to the club slammed on the brakes a couple of times due to the lack of courtesy of other drivers, cursing between his teeth in his native tongue: German. He checked his cell phone and realized he had several missed calls from his older brother, Bruno. Bruno Hoffmann was the eldest of the three sons of the owner of the Einsam club empire. Years before in New York, he had created the first hotel and club Seasons, which had gained fame among the high society. It was a peculiar and intimate place, known for its extravagance and psychedelic atmosphere. Admission to this club required a six-month wait and an exhaustive investigation of the person, including high-ranking individuals, millionaires, and powerful sheikhs. Björn looked out the window again, clenching his jaw tightly. He wondered if Bruno had a good reason to make him travel. W
Ava looked at herself in the mirror, she was undecided whether to wear her hair down or up. She had put on the only black dress pants she had, the fanciest shoes with a tiny heel, and a plain white blouse with a thin black ribbon tied in a bun about to fall apart. She put just a little blusher on her pale cheeks and mascara on her long eyelashes. Then, at the last moment, she opted to wear her hair down. She thought that way her round face wouldn't be too noticeable. "Already?" she heard her friend say impatiently outside the bathroom. Ava took a breath and let it out slowly between her teeth while still looking at herself in the reflection of the mirror. She noticed those dark circles under her eyes that the makeup barely covered. Why was she nervous? It was just an interview for a better job. She would have more money to send to her family, so Frank could go to college, just like her. "We have to be a few minutes before the driver arrives." "I'm coming, I'm done," Ava announced, gr
Ava scrutinized the personnel manager, noting his arched eyebrow and furrowed brow. He appeared genuinely surprised to hear that one of the company's best employees was resigning. "Resignation?" he repeated, his disbelief evident. Ava nodded without hesitation, understanding that her decision was hard to fathom. Where would she go? Had she found a better job? "Is there a problem?" Ava inquired, taken aback by his reaction. He quickly cleared his throat and denied any issue. "Of course not. It just took me by surprise. You've been one of the best employees in the company," he thought, "though somewhat isolated. But a valuable employee nonetheless. Have you found a new job with better benefits?" Ava glanced at the casually dressed man before her, pausing for a brief moment. "Yes," she simply replied, realizing that she didn't owe him any further explanation. Besides, she lacked the confidence to reveal her destination. "Oh," the chief of staff responded. "Let me prepare the document
Björn remembered that Ava had not yet settled in, so he could not go around taking care of suitcases or leaving them around the place. First, you're going to settle in where you're going to live. Go with my secretary so she can give you the rest of the information. When you're done settling in, I'll call you, so we can get to work." Ava nodded, turned around, and Björn noticed Christine waiting outside the main office. He was about to roll his eyes but stopped when he saw Ava bending down to grab the handle of the suitcase. "Hold on, Miss Gray," Björn said. Ava turned her face to look at him, and Björn rounded the desk to approach her. Christine's gaze through the thick glass of the double doors of that office was one of annoyance. Björn opened the door and looked at Ava. "Mrs. Laurent will take you to see the employee area." Björn looked at Christine, who seemed to get more annoyed. "We need to talk, Mr. Hoffmann," Björn said no. "First, take my new personal assistant to her apart