The mere mention of the name Sterling was enough to ruin her entire day. Hurrying to the living room, Eileen hoped to find her phone.
Her phone was her lifeline right now, and she needed to sort an escape plan with it.
She hastened to the box where she was sure the phone would be, her fingers crossed that she would find it.
But when she arrived at the living room, the box was nowhere to be found. "What?! Where could it have gone?!" she exclaimed, her voice rising in frustration.
She was thankful, however, that the house was large and sprawling, with thick walls that dampened sound.
There was no way those two brothers, Sterling and his sibling, could have heard her outburst from their room at the other end of the hall... or so she hoped.
Eileen's heart raced as she frantically scanned the room, her eyes scouring every inch of the space.
She had been so certain the box she was brought in was right there beside the coffee table, next to the white bouncy looking couche.
Someone must have moved the box…. Right? Yes, definitely but what about the phone?
She began searching for the phone and as she searched, her frustration grew. She muttered to herself, "This is ridiculous. I know I left it here."
She checked the bookshelves, the TV stand, even the fireplace mantel. Her eyes scanned every inch of the living room, but there was no sign of the phone.
"No, I should search well." She continued her search, her eyes scanning the room with a sense of urgency.
"Where are you, damn phone?" she whispered to herself, as if the phone might suddenly appear if she wills it to.
Eileen began to search the floor, her eyes scanning the carpet and hardwood surfaces for a glimpse of her phone.
She got down on her hands and knees, peering under the furniture and feeling along the baseboards.
Maybe, just maybe, it had fallen out of the box and was lying nearby, waiting to be found. Logical!
What if the person who moved the box found the phone? No!
Her heart raced at the thought, her hands shaking as she lifted up the rug, hoping against hope that the phone had somehow slipped underneath.
But it was nowhere to be found.
She searched the curtains, the lampshades, even the decorative vases, her desperation growing with each passing moment.
"Please, please, please," she whispered to herself, "let me find it before they do."
The stroke of luck she had been hoping for finally came her way after an exhaustive search.
Tucked away behind the large armchair, Eileen's keen eyes spotted a faint glimmer of her phone's case, peeking out from its hiding spot.
"Oh, thank God," she whispered, her voice barely audible as she reached out with trembling fingers and snatched it up.
The phone felt like a lifeline in her hands. She dramatically cradled it close, her heart still racing from the adrenaline-fueled search.
She quickly checked to ensure her phone was still functional, her fingers flying across the screen with a practiced ease.
"Battery's low, but it'll do," she mumbled to herself, a soft sigh of relief escaping her lips.
With her phone now safely in hand, Eileen took a moment to gather her thoughts. She knew she had to be more careful; the last thing she needed was to blow her cover.
"Alright, back to the kitchen," she muttered to herself, slipping her phone into her pocket and double-checking that it was securely hidden.
She hurried back to the kitchen, her feet pattering against the floor in a soft rhythm. She was really hoping to get everything under good control before the brothers grew too suspicious.
When she slipped into the kitchen, she swiftly made her way to the corner of the long fridge, hiding beside it.
The appliance's bulk provided a convenient shield, and she breathed a silent thank you that there were no maids or helpers around to witness her furtive movements.
"My luck!" she whispered to herself, her voice barely audible over the hum of the refrigerator as she pulled out her phone, her fingers flying across the screen.
As she swiped to unlock her phone, the screen lit up with notifications of missed calls - two from Joshua and a whopping eleven from Joey.
"Hehe," an amused chuckle escaped her lips as she shook her head, finding it funny how two siblings were all out on her. 'Aren't they a little too eager?' she thought to herself.
She quickly typed out a message: 'Need a way out. Stuck in a mansion, posing as a doll. Long story.'
She hesitated for a moment before hitting send.
Immediately, Joey's response pinged back: 'A mansion? Isn't that a good thing? Give me an explanation, Miss Eileen Sterling!'
Eileen let out a frustrated sigh, her eyes rolling in exasperation.
She quickly typed out a reply: 'It's a long story, Joey. I'll explain everything later, when we meet in person. But right now, I need a favor.'
She could almost imagine Joey shaking her head in disbelief on the other end of the line.
Another message popped up on her screen, Joey's words appearing with a soft ping: 'Well, be careful. If you're in a mansion, you must be in someone's territory. Watch your back.'
Another message followed: 'Anyway, what's the favor?'
Eileen steeled herself and began to type out her response, her fingers flying across the screen as her face became dead serious.
'I need you to reach Clyde and tell him his Madam, Eileen Sterling, is back.' She sent the message.
She knew that once Clyde received the message, things would start to move quickly and everything would be back to normal, if not better. She just hoped she was not late yet.
As she waited for Joey's reply, which was taking awfully long, she heard a familiar voice clear his throat from close by.
"Oh no!" she exclaimed, tossing the phone aside without looking and quickly emerging from her hiding spot.
And there stood an angry looking…. "M..Mr Frosty?"