Present day...
Eunice had met with a number of clients that day, and with her newly acquired fame, the company was more busy than it had ever been since its return to Country C. Right after those, she had to engage in frenzy meetings with some keyboard members as well as some members of the staff.
The day all in all was hectic, and she was relieved when it was closing time.
She was just about to clock out of work when she received a phone call from an unknown number. Sceptically, she picked it up and brought it up to ear. "Hello, who is this?"
"Hello ma'am it's me, Agatha." The voice resonated clearly from the other side of the phone.
"What! Agatha, is that really you?" Eunice was as shocked as she was happy. "Yes, it's me, ma'am."
"Oh my, it's really nice to hear from you, I'm sorry I haven't made time to come see you since I got back."
"Don't worry about it, ma'am. Ah, actually, there's something really urgent going on here, and I need your help." The voice from the phone turned into a whisper. Eunice lifted a brow confused as to what was going on. "What is it, Agatha?"...
... Eunice drove up wearily to the luxury estate Paradise Heights. As she clicked on the button in the elevator that led up to the 35th floor, her heart began to pound in her chest, and an array of thoughts raced through her mind. What was she doing? Was it too late to go back? Why did she agree to this? She took a deep breath and chased those thoughts out of her head. She was already here, right? It was too late to go back now, and besides, she was helping as anyone else in her situation would have done... it was only natural.
She took another deep breath when she got to the large imposing black doors. She was just about to ring the doorbell when she had a certain urge to try the passcode instead. 06121. The door beeped and was followed by a 'click' sound, indicating that it had been unlocked. It was her birthday date. Had they really not changed it, or did they just not mind. She slowly opened the door and peered inside. She was quickly me twith Agatha earnestly rushing towards her. "Ma'am you came!" Eunice only gave her a sheepish grin and let the old lady embrace her.
Agatha had been the headmaid of the Crestwood household for a very long time but evr since the Young Master's relocation to Paradise Heights she had willingly given up the position and followed him here to take care of him.
She was one of the people Eunice had longed to meet when she came back from the UK to catch up with. Seeing her again made her feel extremely happy and emotional. "But how did you get my number?" Eunice asked while taking off her shoes and putting on a pair of slippers. "Oh, I actually searched for your number on the Young Master's phone when he was asleep."
"Gosh, how bold of you, Agatha, but I'm glad you called. I want to help in any way possible. " Thank you ma'am" Agatha led Eunice to the kitchen where a hot bowl of porridge sat on the counter. "There's more in the pan, and you should have some later." Agatha carried the bowl and set it on the tray as well as some pills for headache and fatigue along with a glass of water. "Please, could you take these to the Young Master? He refuses to come out of his room to eat anything. Apart from coffee, there's nothing else in the poor boy's stomach at all, I fear that if he keeps it up, he might fall very ill." Agatha pleaded with her, knowing very well that Eunice was the only one who could convince him to eat something at the moment. The only other option was her first Madam, but she was too ill.
Eunice stared at the porridge and then at Agatha. " Had he always been like this?"
"Yes ma'am, ever since you left, he had completely buried himself in work and barely comes home. But after the First Madam took ill, he stopped staying away too long but refused to eat, saying he was fine, but... lately , he has been getting worse because he started drinking a lot. He might not last long, but he's causing all of us to worry, including First Madam!"
Eunice listened to Agatha incredibly. It seemed the whole family had come into shambles since she had left. How did it get so bad .
She gave an assuring smile to Agatha and took the bowl of porridge upstairs to Marcus's room
The whole apartment had not changed in the slightest since she had left.
Everything was just as before, and even the furniture was still maintained, but it still looked new. But why did it make her feel stangely content?
She knocked on the door to the master bedroom softly. After receiving no response after knocking a few more times, she'd begun to knock harder. Or practically pound on the door rather.
A very cold looking Marcus opened the door and eyed her with eyes squinted.
"You! What are you doing here?" Eunice ignored his question and forced herself into the room. She set the tray on the table top. "Eat before it gets cold." Eunice folded her arms and said I'm a placid tone trying hard to ignore the fact that he was shirtless!
Eunice began to back up when Marcus began to walk towards her in large strides with a cold expression on his perfectly symmetrical face. She retreated until her back had hit the wall. She tried to run off in the opposite direction, but Marcus grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her back. "Why are you here?" he asked again.
"Agatha asked me earlier to come and make you eat something. I don't want you to worry, mom, so..." she tried to explain herself. Realising it wasn't a dream nor an illusion, he threw a glance at the bowl of porridge on the table and then back to Eunice.
"I won't have it here... I'll have it downstairs with you."