Chapter 4- Defiant
Six Years Later...
Zarah~
"Here you go, sir," I murmured, placing the compiled file on his desk.
"Thank you, Dina." His fingers brushed mine briefly as I turned to leave. I felt a flicker of something, but I kept my expression blank, professional. He'd been dropping hints for months, but I wasn't biting. For one, he was my boss. Second, Dina wasn't even my real name. And third, he didn't know I wasn't human. I couldn't risk anything that would ruin the life I'd built. A life with Elliot.
When I left Howlcreek, I had nothing but my high school diploma, a few dollars, and a bag of clothes. I had no choice but to start at the bottom—menial work that made me invisible. Answering phones, filing papers, running coffee—humiliating at first, but necessary. Slowly, I worked my way up. I studied everything around me, learned quickly, made myself indispensable. Now, I was here—a personal assistant in one of the most profitable companies in the city. It wasn't glamorous, but I had stability. I had a life.
I glanced at my watch. Five o'clock. Time to get Elliot. I grabbed my purse and headed to my car, making the familiar drive to his school. It was just fifteen minutes away, close enough for comfort. My chest warmed at the thought of picking him up—his bright smile always washed away the exhaustion of the day.
But when I arrived, something felt off. The usual chatter of kids wasn't there. The front yard was already empty. My heartbeat quickened as I headed inside.
I approached the desk, forcing a smile. "Hi, I'm here for Elliot Langdon."
The receptionist blinked at me, then frowned. "Oh, but... Elliot's already been picked up. His uncle came for him earlier."
My stomach dropped. "His uncle?" I said, my voice barely steady. "I don't have—he doesn't have any uncles."
She looked puzzled. "Well, a man came with the right paperwork. Tall, dark hair? He said he was family."