Noelle's eyes snapped open, her breath catching while she clawed at her throat, trying to free herself from the noose. Disorientation washed over her, a dizzying wave of confusion when she felt nothing. The last thing she remembered was the cold, sterile room, the masked executioner, the roughness of the rope against her skin… the darkness. Now, she was staring at the familiar floral patterns of her bedroom wallpaper, the soft morning light filtering through the curtains.
Panic gripped her. She sat bolt upright, her heart pounding in her chest. Had it all been a dream? A horrifying, hyper-realistic nightmare? She touched her arms, her neck, feeling for the marks from the manacles, the lingering pain. There was nothing. Her skin was smooth, unmarked.
She threw back the covers and swung her legs over the side of the bed, her feet landing on the plush carpet. The familiar texture grounded her slightly, but the confusion remained. This was her old bedroom, the one she had before… before everything. Years before.
While she was still trying to grasp the impossible, the door to her room opened, and her assistant, May, entered, carrying a stack of files and a garment bag. May's youthful face, smiling and pretty, brought another wave of disorientation.
"Good morning, Noelle," May chirped, her usual cheerful demeanor in place. "You have a meeting in less than two hours at the Grand Azure Hotel. It's with Mr. Henderson about the new fragrance campaign."
The words hit Noelle like a jolt of electricity. The Grand Azure Hotel. Mr. Henderson. The fragrance campaign. It was all flooding back, not as a memory, but as a premonition, a chilling sense of déjà vu.
She remembered this day. She remembered this meeting. And she remembered what followed: a carefully orchestrated setup by her envious cousin, Ma-Ri. A trap designed to ruin her reputation, to alienate her from her family, to pave the way for Ma-Ri to take her place.
The details were vivid, almost visceral. The opulent hotel suite, the smooth-talking stranger, the compromising photos, Chill's reaction, the devastating fallout. It had been the beginning of her downfall, the first domino in a chain of events that had ultimately led to her wrongful conviction and death sentence.
Noelle stared at May, her eyes wide with a mixture of fear and disbelief. "The Grand Azure?" she repeated, her voice barely a whisper. "The meeting with Mr. Henderson?"
May frowned, her brow furrowed with concern. "Yes," she said. "Is everything alright? You seem… pale."
Noelle shook her head, trying to clear the fog in her mind. "No," she said, her voice trembling. "It's not alright. I remember… I remember what happens."
May's frown deepened. "What do you mean?" she asked. "Are you okay?"
Noelle took a deep breath, trying to organize her thoughts. She knew she would sound crazy if she even tried to tell someone what had happened to her. All she knew was that she had to prevent what was about to happen.
The last time, when May told her about the meeting she had asked why a business meeting was being held in a hotel room. May's answer had been that Mr Henderson wanted her to be very comfortable, so he had chosen the five star hotel. As narcissistic and selfish as Noelle had been, she had not questioned it and let herself into the trap. This time she would not make it so easy for them.
"Sorry May." Noelle sighed, "I literally just woke up from sleep, so the sleep fumes are still in my head."
May looked at her, her expression unreadable then she nodded and dropped the coffee she held on the table before unzipping the garment bag.
Noelle studied her assistant as she worked. She had never thought about it before, but now she was suspicious about May's role. She was the closest person to her and she knew every step that she took. It would be easy for her to feed someone who wanted to harm her information about what she was doing.
"May," Noelle called out and May turned to look at her with a questioning look.
"I need you to go get me that basque cheese cake I love from Candy." She said.
Noelle watched as a nerve ticked in May's throat and there was a storm in her eyes which cleared almost immediately.
"Candy is across town," May said patiently, "with the traffic, it would take me all morning to go and come back and I need to take you for the meeting, why don't I place an order instead?"
She pulled out her phone and started to place an order but Noelle grabbed the phone out of her hand and said in a whiny voice. "I don't trust those delivery people, the cake will arrive all smushed up and I will not be able to eat it if it looks so ugly."
She watched as May struggled to keep her composure and she continued, "I can go to Grand Azure by myself, i promise I won't even be late if you go get my cheesecake."
May hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "Promise me that you won't go late, this meeting is important."
"I promise." Noelle said as she handed over May's phone back to her.
May took a deep breath and looked around, "fine, since you are sure that you don't need me, I will just leave."
"Don't forget." Noelle called out after her, "Salted caramel, please."
When May had gotten into her car and was headed to the bakery, she made a phone call while navigating the busy roads.
"I hate that stupid bitch!" She cursed softly under her breath as she waited for the person on the other side to pick.
"What is happening? Are you already on your way?" The voice on the other end asked.
"Not yet, she will go alone." She answered, "she just demanded that I go and get cheesecake like the spoiled brat that she is."
"But she will go for the meeting?" The voice on the other end asked, sounding disgruntled.
"Yes, she should be setting out in about an hour." May answered.
Immediately after, the call was ended on the other end. May cussed internally, she was sick and tired of working for Noelle. Everyone thought that she was a goddess but she was nothing but a narcissistic, talentless person who relied on her looks and thought that she deserved the world simply because she could hit a few high notes.
May could not wait for Noelle's downfall and she was actively working towards it. In a matter of time, Noelle would be a pariah in the industry. That was the only thing that kept her going.