AllFreeNovel
Share Us
With her teeth still chattering convulsively, Ana closed her eyes and fell into a fitful sleep.
After an entire morning and afternoon languishing in a pitiful state of despair, Ana finally rose to freshen up.
It took a monumental effort. Who was she even going to see or mingle with? She had no idea how long it would take to handle this scandal, if it could even be handled at all. It could be days, weeks, or even months before another scandal took hold and distracted everyone.
But the stain of this one would never fade.
Wearily combing back her long, wet hair, Ana sank into her desk. All the files there overwhelmed her, reminding her how much work she had missed in the last day. She pushed them aside listlessly.
She didn’t have the mental strength to review anything now.
Instead, Ana bent down to pull a few fabric samples out of the lower drawer and laid them neatly on the desk, measuring each piece methodically until it lulled her into that familiar calm. That’s what she loved about her work. Not the sales and profits or the accolades. It was the simple pleasure of developing a beautiful design. The peaceful solitude, where there was nothing but a beautiful gown and the rhythmic hum of the sewing machine filling her mind.
If all else failed, she could always establish a new business anonymously. There were many other clothing lines Ana had considered over the years, from casual wear to knitwear. Those ideas had remained on the back burner until she hired more staff.
The Family wouldn’t immediately guess the new business was hers, especially if it contained casual wear. They thought she was too posh for such clothing.
Miss Perfect.
The reminder of that nickname from the screenshot nauseated her.
As if on cue, the phone buzzed.
Ana felt her pulse trip at the sound. Anxiety bubbled up within her. She had finally powered up the phone, after a 24-hour hiatus, but hadn’t dared to check the hundreds of messages pouring in yet. She had deleted most without reading them, disinterested in people’s fake sympathies and prying questions. Only to Emma and Tony, had she replied, assuring them she was okay.
As for Gio…well, that voicemail from him still blinked hauntingly. It was the one notification that terrified her the most and the one that most tempted her. Her fingers had danced between deleting it and playing it all evening, until she’d given up and left it as it was–unheard.
Tomorrow. Tomorrow, she would be brave and call him. Today was the day to hide.
Checking the latest alert, Ana groaned.
Celia: We need to talk.
Celia: ASAP.
What did the witch want now? Probably to gloat and rub the scandal in her face. With a deep scowl, Ana blocked her and muted the phone.
There were scores of two-faced monsters like Celia in the Family, secretly rooting for Ana to fall. They had all been so upset that an orphan, born to a lowly soldier, had risen so far–gaining the Mancini name and then the Bernardi’s.
Well, they finally got what they wanted.
She was down on the ground with them.
Pedaling the machine, Ana arranged the fabric and let the low hum of its motor take her away.
Lights rippled across her eyes, tangling and twisting with the darkness in a dance that hypnotized her.
A deep hush covered her from all sides, muting every sound in the room. Not even the crickets could be heard chirping anymore.
What happened to her sewing machine?
Ana struggled to open her eyes, the lights and shadows keeping her suspended in a fugue state that left her tightrope-walking between consciousness and nightmare.
Click.
Click.
Creak.
