"Audrey, oh my god, you're awake!" Rosaline exclaimed, tears of joy streaming down her face.
Audrey looked around, confused, taking in the medical team surrounding her bed.
"What...what happened?" she stammered.
The doctor smiled, relief etched on his face. "You've been in a coma for some hours now, Audrey. We're not sure what caused it, but we're running tests to find out."
Audrey's eyes widened as she tried to sit up, but a sharp pain shot through her head, making her fall back onto the pillow.
Rosaline rushed to her side, holding her hand. "Don't try to move, Audrey. You need to rest."
But Audrey's eyes were filled with a determined glint. "I remember something," she whispered. "I felt someone behind me ...and a voice...looking back, I had seen a masked man holding a stick coming towards me and had lost consciousness. I had woken up to see my parents, who were telling me to come home, back to the world.."
The medical team exchanged worried glances. "Are you okay now Audrey?" the doctor asked gently.
Audrey nodded, still looking confused. "I think so...but I don't understand what's going on. Who was that man? And why did my parents show up in my dream? That's if I can call it that because it felt so real."
Rosaline squeezed her hand. "We'll figure it out, Audrey. But first, you need to rest and get better."
The doctor nodded in agreement. "We'll run some more tests and try to piece together what happened. But for now, let's focus on getting you back to full strength."
As the medical team continued to tend to Audrey, Rosaline couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. The masked man, Jonathan's attack and the missing of godmother ...it all seemed too strange to be a coincidence.
In no time, Audrey was back on her feet and had resumed back to the office.
******
As Audrey settled back into her routine at the office, Rosaline couldn't help but notice that something was still off. Audrey seemed distant, preoccupied, and her usual spark was missing.
One day, while working late, Rosaline approached Audrey's desk and found her staring at a small, intricately carved box.
"Audrey, what's that?" Rosaline asked, her curiosity piqued.
Audrey jumped, startled, and quickly hid the box in her drawer. "Oh, it's just something I found," she said evasively.
But Rosaline's instincts told her otherwise. She remembered the symbol on the paper she had found earlier, and the strange occurrences surrounding Audrey's coma.
"Listen, Audrey, I know something's going on," Rosaline said gently. "And I'm here for you, no matter what. But please, you have to tell me the truth. What's happening?"
Audrey sighed, looking around nervously before leaning in close. "I've been getting these strange messages," she whispered. "And I think it's connected to my godmother's disappearance."
Rosaline's eyes widened. "What kind of messages?"
"Just weird ones like, I am better than you, you are a loser.. so on, it is also always a private number which makes it not easy to track."
"Let's report this to the police" Rosaline siad, feeling and looking scared.
"It is okay, I already had and they have been trying their best to uncover the person but the person seems to have a huge power as all the way they have tried seems abortive." Audrey answered calmly even though her inside were like a tumor before giving Rosaline a warm hug.
******
Miguel's eyes followed Audrey as she stepped out of her car, feeling a pang of concern as he noticed she had lost a lot of weight. He was not sure what could have happened to her. If only he had not gotten her upset, he could have probably asked her in a professional way, what was wrong with her. He had not meant to upset her, but he couldn't deny the larger tension between them now.
Just then, Betty appeared by his side, a bright smile on her face. "Hey, darling! What Are you staring at?" She asked, trying to trace his gaze but he quickly rolled down the curtain.
Miguel hesitated, he was pissed? Yes! But the fault was not hers either. Unsure how much to reveal. "Oh nothing. I was working on a project and searching for ideas that's why I am looking for an inspiration anywhere"
Betty's eyes narrowed slightly, but she said nothing.
******
Audrey stepped out of her car and onto the rain-soaked parking lot, her eyes fixed on the office building in front of her. She had been dreading coming here since she left here yesterday, knowing she would have to face Miguel again but she really had to have to as she needed some inquiries to make. But she had no choice, she had to discuss something with him on their project.
As she walked towards the entrance, she felt a sense of unease wash over her. The rain poured down around her, mirroring her mood. She had been trying to avoid Miguel since their last encounter when he confessed his feelings to her, but she could not put it off any longer.
She pushed open the door and stepped inside, shaking the rain off her coat. The office was quiet, except for the sound of keyboards clacking and muted conversations. Audrey made her way to Miguel's office, her heart sinking with each step.
She knocked on the door, and Miguel's voice called out, "Come in."
Audrey took a deep breath and opened the door. Miguel looked up from his computer, his eyes locking onto hers. For a moment, they just stared at each other, the tension between them palpable.
"Hey," Miguel said finally, breaking the silence. "What brings you here?"
Audrey hesitated, unsure how to start. "We need to talk about the project," she said finally. "I've been going over the numbers, and I think we need to make some changes."
Miguel nodded, his expression serious. "Okay, let's take a look."
As they sat down at the conference table, Audrey couldn't help but notice the photo on Miguel's desk. It was a picture of him and a lady, his arm wrapped around her. Audrey felt a pang of jealousy, but she quickly pushed it aside. She was here to discuss business, not to catch feelings after her terrible past.
But as they delved into the project details, Audrey couldn't shake off the feeling that Miguel was hiding something from her. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but something didn't feel right.