The door opened and the maid, Sarah, who hadn't shown up for three days, arrived with a forced smile.
"Hello, Anna."
"You've disappeared."
"I work at the boss's mansion, and I only swap places with the maid who works here when he comes over. I know how to do everything the way he likes it, so..."
Anna stared at her uncomprehendingly. Did Allister's boss son have a relationship with that woman?
"Oh! You two..."
The woman smiled and her cheeks turned red.
"Yes. When he comes to see me... But not very often. Anyway, I always like to be around if he needs me..."
"I see... Why don't you two date, get married and..."
"I'm twice his age. A bit more than twice, I'd say... Although, I know I look younger even than you yourself." She said, fixing her hair and Anna noticed her face covered in make-up and felt pity. She looked to be in her fifties, but she thought she should cheer her up.
"Age doesn't make much difference. All is old enough to be my grandfather, and yet we love each other."
"Are you married?" She asked wryly and when she noticed Anna's red face, she added. "The boss wants to talk to you before his father gets home from the hospital. Can you come with me, please?"
"I don't want to talk to anyone. I'm just going out to see All." Anna replied, still feeling like she'd been humiliated by a servant girl.
"You can choose not to come with me, but he'll send someone else less... Pleasant, and he'll certainly take you against your will..."
"I bet he wants me to refuse to accompany you."
Sarah looked at her suspiciously.
"Have you met him?" Those words confirmed Anna's suspicion, but she pretended not to notice.
"No! He's never been to visit his father in Houston."
The woman let out a relieved breath.
"I'm sorry. I'm very possessive and jealous of the boss. A bit insecure too, but that's nonsense. He won't find a prettier woman, and with the experience I have..."
"Of course not." Anna agreed, thinking the woman must be crazy.
"Well? Are you coming or..."
"I'm coming."
The two left. But they didn't walk very far. As Anna had already suspected, Sarah stopped at the door of the room next to Anna's, and opened the door. When Anna passed her and entered, she moved her lips without making a sound, but Sarah understood.
"Good luck!"
Anna was speechless when the man with his back to her turned around in his chair to face her. She was facing a younger version of All. Handsome, with cold blue eyes, black hair and the expression of someone who was always uncomfortable.
He didn't get up to greet her, but waited patiently for her to assess him. Anna estimated that he must have been no more than twenty-two years old. How could he be considered so dangerous? He was only a young man.
"You can sit down, if you like." He said, pointing to the chair opposite where he was standing.
"I prefer to stand." Anna said, still startled by the resemblance.
"We're going to take care of business here, Anna. So this might take a while."
She forced herself to get closer. Her legs felt like they weighed a ton each. Anna sat down and looked at her hands.
"I need you to sign these documents."
Anna felt the air of the papers being thrown in front of her and raised her head in confusion.
"What's this?" She said, picking up a nearby pen.
He looked away. Anna noticed his intense gaze before he looked away, and felt a pang in her heart.
"That's a guarantee that you won't take a penny of my father's."
Anna bit her lower lip thoughtfully. Perhaps this was the moment for her to negotiate.
"I don't want anything from him and I don't see any problem in signing any document that guarantees that, but..."
He turned his eyes on her, so furious that Anna thought that if it had been a gun pointed at her, she would have been shot right then and there.
"But?" He asked between his teeth.
Anna was afraid, but thought that perhaps it would be better to provoke him into killing her immediately than to let him get any ideas. This thought gave her courage.
"I just want my father's freedom." Anna said and remembered Sarah's information, but she couldn't trust her. "If All... If your father doesn't want me by his side anymore, I'll leave with my father, and you'll never hear from me again."
"If my father didn't want you on his side anymore, you wouldn't be sitting in front of me right now. You'd be lying in a grave. Have you ever heard the expression 'eating grass by the roots'?"
He spoke so softly that his voice reminded Anna of the sound of a hissing snake, dangerous and ready to strike.
"Are you going to free my father?"
"No."
Anna pushed the papers towards him.
"Then I won't sign." She said and crossed her arms.
He looked thoughtful and then turned on the intercom on the table, and soon a stern voice spoke from the other end.
"Boss?"
"Send Caricature over here."
"Yes, sir."
Anna heard the click on the other end, and the man in front of her turned his swivel chair and faced away from her. Anna was ready to talk to him about his rudeness, when the door opened and she looked back. A tall, strong, black man with a face that expressed evil walked in. He approached her with quick steps and, raising his hand without warning, struck Anna in the face, so hard that she fell off her chair. She put her hand to her face in astonishment at the violence, but didn't have time to ask, for as quickly as the man entered, he left.
She stood up and the All-like man turned to her in his swivel chair.
"Sit down and sign." He said, again indicating the chair in front of her.
Anna felt her face burning with pain, tears falling down her cheeks, and she didn't know which was stronger, the pain or the anger. She sat down and picked up the pen, but put it down when she realized what kind of document it was.
"This is... I think there's been a mistake..."
"There's no mistake. As soon as you sign it, we'll go to the registry office."