A/N

Zuerien is pronounced 'Zue' like 'hue' but with a Z, and 'rien' like 'Ian' with an R in front of it. But that was probably the worst description in the history of all descriptions so I beg your pardon lol. You can go ahead and read it however you feel comfortable.

This chapter is unedited so please excuse the grammatical errors
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Suzzanah's POV

Life had always had a twisted sense of humor when it came to me. Like the day I took my first steps in this world was the day my parents took their last. The first time I ever hit the target perfectly in archery practice was the last time I ever held a bow and arrow. And now, my first day at a job I had waited for all my life would most probably also be my last day at it. I didn't even know how I felt about that because right then, getting fired seemed like the least of my problems.

When I came out of my trance like state, and my blurred vision cleared, the first thing my eyes focused on was the extremely handsome CEO's face, which was now dripping with an emotion which could only be described as complete and utter shock.

Next to him, Mr.Penson and Master Cole wore similar horrified expressions as they stared at me with unblinking eyes.

I shivered involuntarily before my eyes went down to look at the now empty glass still held fast in the palm of my left hand which was limp by the side of my body.

Drip...drip...drip...

Cool water droplets slid down my forehead and the side of my face and I internally pleaded that it was only sweat. The cool, wet feeling spread to my chest and numb upper limbs.

More sweat?

My hair clung to my face, the edges of which dripped water down the front of my shirt.

There was no way I was sweating out of my hair...

Blurry vision + shocked bosses + empty glass of water + cold shivering soaked body = yesterday's wet dog version of me from when I got to the staff quarters...

"What the..." the CEO's shocked voice trailed off.

"heck", I completed in my mind as the impact of what I had just done hit me with full force.

I just doused my own face with water?!!

My eyes squeezed shut and I cringed so hard I felt like I turned into a prune.

But I don't even remember moving my hand!

I gulped before slowly opening my eyes and looked sheepishly at my three bosses who all looked like they had witnessed pigs flying and goats waltzing.

"Uh...I...uh...." What exactly should I have said? What could I have said after that preposterous stunt I had just pulled?

"I was....thirsty?" I squeaked out the last part of my line before wanting to die again. I did not just say that!

"Uh-huh..." Master Cole's unsure voice caused my eyes to move away from the CEO's bewildered face to his, "so what? You forgot to open your mouth when you threw that water at yourself?"

I crinkled my nose and my face 'prunified' itself even further, "something like that", I replied awkwardly before giggling nervously.

Drat! How am I going to get myself out of this one? And why am I standing here in the middle of the scary CEO's office, dripping wet like a popsicle on beach day?"

I briefly glanced at Mr. Penson expecting him to look extremely displeased and maybe even appalled, but instead found him looking intently at the glass in my hand as though it held some mesmerizing mystery within its glassy emptiness.

I felt compelled to say something to defend my irrational behavior.

"Uh, the air was so tense that my throat suddenly felt dry and I had to drink water", I replied embarrassedly, "and the glass of water suddenly seemed so appealing that my hand reacted faster than...my....uh-mouth" I finished, feeling my cheeks turn a bright red.

Master Cole's eyes trailed down my frame as a frown marred his features and I felt myself stiffen.

A deep growl resonated within the room and my eyes shifted to look for the source only to land on the CEO who was glaring daggers at Master Cole. Master Cole's eyes widened and he immediately looked away from me.

Furious, the CEO's gaze returned to me, "The hell is the meaning of this?" he asked icily, stepping closer to me.

My blood ran cold. I didn't know what to say, what to do? I just ended up staring wide eyed at the terrifying figure looming over me like a dark cloud.

His eyes roamed my wet shivering form and his eyes seemed to darken visibly turning the color of dark chocolate and then even darker like black coffee. A constrained noise which almost sounded like a growl escaped his lips as his nostrils flared and he inhaled deeply.

What was happening to him?

His hands shook as though he wanted to reach out but was holding himself back. He looked like he was desperately trying to keep himself under control. His fists clenched tightly.

I must have really made him furious

"Answer me!" he demanded, flinging his hand to the side.

I flinched away, "I...I'm so sorry Sir, I-I was just-"

"Thirsty?" he asked mockingly, "you want me to believe that?" he started shrugging off his dark suit jacket making my eyes bulge out of their sockets as he continued talking, his deep voice getting louder and angrier as he spoke "What are you? An amphibian! Do you just absorb water from the surface of your body?" he removed the jacket completely and held it in front of himself as he stepped even closer to me bending over me causing me to bend backwards, "so whenever you get thirsty you just find yourself a nice little puddle of water and go 'plonk' into it, is that it?"

It was an insult, a sarcastic one, I could tell that much, but I was too busy trying to bend out of his reach while at the same time staying at the same place to pay it any mind.

"Stand straight!" he demanded in an annoyed tone, when my bending started to look like a somersault attempt, his command making my back go stiff like an iron rod.

He took the opportunity and brought his jacket around me from behind before quickly pulling it over my shivering frame.

Immediately his earthy scent filled my senses and warmth seeped into my cold skin. I stood paralysed as his actions sunk into my thick wet skull.

He gave me his jacket?!

I immediately looked up at him confused to find him looking at me with distress and annoyance clear on his face.

Overwhelmed by the kind gesture from a complete stranger, the CEO at that, I opened my mouth to thank him but was cut off when he slapped the palm of his large hand on his face in frustration and turned away from me towards Mr. Penson and Master Cole who both wore expressions of awe and, much to my great befuddlement, happiness!

Grinning from ear to ear, Master Cole opened his mouth to say something but was cut off by the CEO's, "Get out"

Immediately Mr. Penson's and Master Cole's expressions mellowed, being replaced by ones similar to my baffled one.

When none of us made any move, as we waited for some sort of repetition or specificity on the CEO's part, he turned around looking livid and as he shouted, "GET OUT!" as he stared right at me.

I was immediately hit by an enormous wave of authority and I knew that was my cue. I stumbled backwards and immediately turned towards the door but in my disoriented state I ended up going round and round in two and a half circles before floundering to my escape route.

I reached the door and yanked it open before abruptly turning towards the three of them and doing yet another tumultuous bow and then I rushed out, not looking any of them in the eye, unintentionally slamming the wooden door in my haste.

Outside the office I stood for a good five seconds staring at the nothingness in the long empty corridor with wide puzzled eyes before promptly taking off towards my room downstairs.

I reached the elevator- hell no!

I immediately jumped away from it and took the stairs, running slash falling down them, two at a time, and finally reaching the 18th floor looking disheveled and disoriented. Ignoring all the wide eyed on-lookers I speed walked down the confusing twisting corridors and sent a prayer of thanks as the door to my room came into view.

I launched myself at the glass door, falling into my room before closing the door behind me only to have my ear drums impaled by a high pitched screech which I in turn rewarded with one of my own.

Mr. Talon stood before me clutching my rotating chair to his chest with a horrified expression plastered on his pale wide-eyed face and I would bet anything that I looked much the same clutching the CEO's jacket with one hand and the door handle with the other.

After a few rounds of heavy breathing and wide-eyed stare downs both of us released exhausted breaths before he slumped onto the chair and I against the door.

"Oh! OOOHH!" he panted heavily for a few seconds before shooting out of the chair and coming to where I was slumped against the door, gulping down air hungrily.

"Ms. WINTERS!"

I looked up at his appalled expression as his eyes roamed my state of turmoil, taking in my wet and messy state and lingering a while on the jacket draped around my frame, before they squeezed shut as he clutched his face in his hands shaking it wildly as though he had a killer headache.

"Do I want to know?" he asked sounding distraught and I face palmed before shaking my head and walking to the rotating chair by my desk.

Mr. Talon hurriedly caught up with me and pulled it out for me and I mumbled a thank you before collapsing into it.

"On a scale of one to ten, how bad is it?" he asked bending at his knees to be at level with my face.

"About a hundred and thirty seven", I mumbled tiredly and he looked away screaming within his mouth before turning back to me with a red face and awaiting an explanation.

I sighed before narrating the whole daunting experience to him. I left out the finer details like the conversations about 'the mystery girl' and my feelings throughout it all and stuck to only a gist of what had happened. And even then by the time I was done, he had had a dozen heart attacks and I had died a couple of times.

Now we both sat slumped, he on my desk and I on the rotating chair, with our respective heads in our hands listening to the silence become deafening as seconds passed like centuries.

Having vented all my panic and distress, I felt strangely numb, unable to feel anything else.

Finally the painful quietness was interrupted by his heavy nasal sigh as he stood up and walked gloomily to the glass door and out of it before I could say anything to him.

I smiled bitterly, what would I say to him? I had just become a huge disappointment and he would probably pay the price for it along with me.

Guilt broke through my numb state of mind followed by an overwhelming sense of fear and pain.

What have I done?!

Why had I acted like such an imbecile? I had let down not only Mr. Talon but also Mr. Penson and most of all, myself.

And what could I possibly do now to set right this mess I had unintentionally created?

Nothing!

A familiar cold voice rang in my ears, you can do nothing!

Oh no!

You are nothing but a useless street urchin.

Oh please no! Not this again!

My hands immediately covered my ears and my eyes squeezed shut. I drew the jacket closer to myself trying to drown myself within its warmth. The earthy scent of freshly fallen rain that radiated from it calmed my senses for a brief minute only to have that cruel voice return with a fierce vengeance.

You're never going to be good at anything! You'll always be the hopeless, good-for-nothing piece of shit that even her parents couldn't stand to be around!

Please stop it!

My body shook as the haunting memories from many years ago came flooding back into my mind. My hands trembled, my head ached and my eyes stung as I tried to force back those agonizing memories.

Karina!

I forced myself to think about my sister. All the things she said to me, all the times she had been there for me but the voice in my head was louder, harsher, clearer.

You know that's true, don't you Suzzanah?

Don't! Please stop!

Even your parents hated you!

Karina! Please make it stop!

My lungs burned and my heart ached and I trembled in my chair.

They hated you so much that-

STOP IT!

-they left you all alone!

NO!

They chose Death over You!

NOOO!

"Honestly child!"

My eyes shot open, unshed tears still pushing at their barriers, as I found Mr. Talon standing by my desk with a towel in his hand.

Before I could say anything he brought the towel down on my head moving his hands robustly over my wet hair.

"You are shivering like you're being electrocuted. At least turn off your air conditioning!" he scolded before promptly turning it off and returning to drying my hair vigorously.

My thoughts were still too muddled up for me to answer, so I just sat there letting him shake my head in all directions hoping he wouldn't dislocate anything while also wondering if doing this kind of thing was normal in offices.

"The CEO left a few minutes ago", he told me as he continued to dry my hair and I nodded as best as I could. I felt a strange feeling of disappointment rush through me and I told myself it was disappointment that I couldn't live up to anyone's expectations today.

After a few minutes of silence when Mr. Talon was satisfied with his work he removed the towel but his huff of approval turned into a shriek of horror as he looked at me.

"Oh no! Your hair! Please tell me you have a hairbrush with you!"

When I continued to stare at him without replying, unable to find my voice, he bent forward towards me with a questioning look.

"You don't look too well. Oooh I should have brought that apple which was mocking me from the fruit basket with its suspiciously bright redness as I refused to pick it up on my way out of the room. I'll be right back!"

He turned to leave but I having finally found my voice I called out to him, "Wait! Mr. Talon!"

He stopped mid stride and turned towards me.

I gulped and stood up guiltily, "I-I...I just, I"

I couldn't form any coherent sentence and Mr. Talon's expression turned more and more inquisitive.

"I'm...so so sorry!" I finally blurted out, "I completely messed up. I don't know what came over me, and I have no excuse for my behavior. I just wish I that I didn't drag you down with me. I'm terribly sorry for everything and if they give me a chance I'll be sure to let them know that none of this was your fault. I'm just...such a mess!"

"Yes you are!" he agreed all too enthusiastically making me flinch.

"-which is why I asked you if you had a hairbrush with you so that you could tame your wild tresses! Or attempt to at least. But you didn't answer me remember"

My expression immediately turned puzzled, "but I didn't- I mean- I meant-"

Mr. Talon sighed heavily cutting me off, "I know what you meant, and thank you for that but I doubt your saying anything to them would mean much after what happened already"

My shoulders slumped as I bowed my head in disappointment but he continued, "that being said, you need to stop being so hard on yourself"

My head shot up to look at him, "I mean your- what shall we call it- performance was exactly what I expected after all. Why do you think I was so freaked out when I saw you getting into that elevator in the first place? Because I knew this would happen!"

I continued to stare at him, unsure if I should be ashamed that he thought so lowly of me or wonder why he seemed so positive about saying it like that. So I just let him continue.

"Do you know why?" he asked and I hesitantly shook my head, "Because that's exactly how most people return from the CEO's office! Heck I would have probably messed up just as bad as you, if not worse!"

My eyes widened involuntarily and my mouth fell open.

"Honestly, you can't blame yourself for everything that happened in there. It's CEO Royale for crying out loud. He is known for eliciting the most freaked out reactions from people! He can't help but intimidate them into senselessness and I speak from personal experience! I dare not say if it had been me in your place I would have probably flung the water at him and not myself. And then I would be dead faster than you can say Duck!"

I felt my lip tremble as I realized that even after all this Mr. Talon wasn't blaming me. An overwhelming sense of gratitude for this strange man with the nasal voice filled my body as he continued his animated rant.

"Oh! Don't you think I'm letting you off the hook! You should have tried to maintain composure, but it is easy to slip when in the presence of the Al- I mean the CEO. So stop beating yourself up about this!"

When he was done I ran to him and hugged him tight.

"Eeeeeh!" he screeched, "Ms. Winters! Please control yourself. What do you think you are doing?!"

"Thank you so much Mr. Talon! You really are so sweet! I feel much better, you completely cheered me up!" I said hugging him harder before letting go.

He looked a bit flustered as he readjusted his glasses and cleared his throat, "I'm not sure it's a good idea to be all cheery right now though Ms. Winters", he said gravely.

Immediately my enthusiasm fell a few levels as I realized the heavy truth behind his words, "You're right. For all I know Mr. Penson might be on his way to fire me as we speak, and rightly so. There is nothing I can do about it", I sighed heavily. Mr. Talon opened his mouth to reply.

"Oh, isn't there?"

Both I and Mr. Talon jumped on hearing Mr. Penson's voice as he walked into my room.

"Mr. Penson Sir!" Mr. Talon exclaimed and immediately bowed and I followed his lead.

Once I raised my head I looked at Mr. Penson with guilty eyes, "Sir, I- I'm terribly sorry about earlier. I know an apology doesn't cut it but it's the least I can do. I doubt it means much"

"You are right Ms. Winters", he replied straight faced, "any apologies, regrets and 'I wishes' on your part really don't mean much"

Even though I was expecting him to say just that, hearing it directly from him was like a hard punch to my stomach- devastating and extremely painful.

And yet again, I found myself looking through the eyes of a poor eight year old orphan girl, who had just had her last hope ripped away from her desperate little arms. And I knew that yet again, I was powerless to do anything about it. Just like all those years ago, yet again, I was unavailing to my circumstances. Yet again, I was forlorn...

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A/N

Hello my dear readers! How are you all doing? I'm terribly sorry for being away for so long. Life has been really rough this last year but we're getting by.

So how did you like this chapter? Not to worry, I've uploaded the next chapter also. Two chapters for all those lovely readers out there who decided to give my book a chance and brought it to over 600 reads. I love each one of you so so much!

See you at the end of the next chapter

All my love

Angel