SHARON'S POV
I watched as Maxie walked into the house, her expression thoughtful. I could tell something was bothering her and with the way she called back I knew something was wrong. "Hey, what's up?" I asked, since I noticed the tension between her and Zion. "You seemed a bit off when we got home earlier."
Maxie hesitated, then said, "Don't freak out, okay?" Her words only piqued my interest more.
"Okay, I'm not freaking out," I said, playing along. "But what's going on?"
Maxie took a deep breath. "I saw Mrs. Langley and Zion having a conversation, and it seemed normal at first. But when I asked him about it outside, his whole demeanor changed. He got really evasive and secretive."
My eyes widened in surprise. "What? What was she doing there, I mean what were the doing together?" I asked, my mind racing with possibilities.
Maxie shook her head. "I don't know, but Zion's behavior was really suspicious. I don't trust him right now."
I felt a surge of concern. "Oh my God, I need to call him back," I said, already reaching for my phone.
But Maxie grabbed my arm, holding me back. "No, no, it's fine. Zion said it's just business, according to him. But I don't trust him either."
I frowned, feeling uneasy. "What do you mean? What kind of business could Zion have with Mrs. Langley?"
Maxie shrugged. "I don't know, but I'm going to find out. I just don't want a situation where I need to be careful around him for now."
I nodded, feeling a sense of determination. "But if Zee say's it business it is, I don't want to cloud my mind too much, I have a job to prepare for" I smiled trying to ease the atmosphere
"Ohhh, see who's still unemployed..."
I frowned at her playfully "what do you mean" then she frowned back at me
"Keep that job for a month and I'll consider you employed, for now goodnight to you B"
I just smiled while heading to my room.
NEXT MORNING
I barely slept at night, stayed up anticipating what my new working environment was going to be like. I decided to wake Maxie up too and we both left the house.
I walked into the office, feeling a mix of excitement and nerves. The company, NovaTech, was a new startup, and I was one of the first employees. As I made my way to my desk, I noticed that the office was spacious, a different part from the conference room we had the interview that day, with about six to eight people working at their desks.
My supervisor, a friendly woman named Rachel, greeted me warmly and introduced me to the team. Everyone was new, just like me, and we all exchanged pleasantries as we got to know each other.
"I hope everyone gets familiar with each other, it'll make things easier" Mrs Rachel said while the rest of us nodded in response
After the introductions, Rachel explained that the company was still in its early stages, and we would be working on various projects to help get it off the ground. She told us that the main office was located elsewhere, and this office was one of two satellite locations.
As we settled in, Rachel handed out our first task which were a series of tests to help determine our skills and strengths. "Don't worry, it's just a formality," she assured us. "We're still working out the kinks, and this will help us figure out how to best utilize our team's talents."
The first day didn't seem like a lot of work but I still felt tired as I walked into the apartment, dropping my bag by the door. Maxie looked up from her book, a hint of amusement on her face. "You're home early," I said, raising an eyebrow.
She chuckled. "Hello, excuse me, you are employed now. You came home late, so that means you're the one who's home late," she teased, grinning.
I laughed, tossing a pillow at her. "Fair point.
"So, how was your first day at work?" She asked, curiosity written all over her face
I settled onto the couch beside her. "It was fine. The office is really nice, and everyone is super friendly. I'm actually really happy to be working with them."
Maxie's eyes sparkled with interest. "Tell me more about them. What's the office like?"
I leaned back, launching into a detailed description of my new colleagues. "So, there's Ethan, he's the tech expert. Then there's Liam, he's always cracking jokes. Alex is the quiet one, but he's a genius with coding. And Ryan is the marketing guy, always bouncing around with ideas."
Maxie nodded, intrigued. "Sounds like a fun bunch. What about the girls?"
I smiled. "Oh, there's Samantha, she's the designer. Emily is the project manager, super organized and detail-oriented. And Ava is the social media specialist, she's always bubbly and enthusiastic. And then there's me, Sharon, the newest member of the team."
Maxie grinned. "I'm sure you'll fit right in. What's your supervisor like?"
I thought for a moment before responding. "Mrs. Rachel is great. She's really supportive and encourages us to work together. I think I'm going to like working there, it's not a big company for rumour."
Maxie smiled at me " Bitch, go grab food"
We talked for a bit before retiring to bed, as I was getting ready for bed, my phone suddenly rang, shrill in the silence of the night. I frowned, wondering who could be calling me so late. I picked up, expecting it to be a telemarketer or a wrong number. "Hello?" I said, trying to sound more awake than I felt.
There was a pause on the other end, and for a moment, I thought the line had dropped. But then, I heard the sound of breathing, soft and measured. My skin prickled with unease as I waited for the person to say something, anything. But there was only silence.
"Hello?" I repeated, my voice firmer this time. Still, there was no response. The breathing continued, steady and calm, sending a shiver down my spine. I felt a surge of frustration and a touch of fear. Who was this? What did they want?
"Who is this?" I demanded, trying to keep my voice steady.
The breathing stopped, and the line went dead. I pulled the phone away from my ear, staring at it in confusion. What kind of prank was that? I shook my head, chalking it up to a wrong number or a telemarketer trying to gauge my response. But the unease lingered, making me wonder if it was something more.
I tried to brush it off, telling myself it was probably just a wrong number. But as I lay in bed, I couldn't shake the weird feeling that was emerging inside of me.
"I can't disturb Maxie with this... it's nothing" I had to truly convince myself it was nothing and for one last time I glimpse through my phone but there was nothing from him, the person I craved to hear from the most.