Lucky Star

"Vice President Charlie you almost scared us to death." Director of PR said as he looked towards Charlie complainingly.

"What is the fun in scaring you oldies to death, I have better things to do. I was just warning you out of goodwill and look at you accusing me." Charlie said as he looked at the PR Director in disdain.

"Is Secretary Jiu not in her cabin?" Director Allen asked as she peeked inside the cabin.

"No, she went to the canteen to get President's breakfast as she received a call from the mansion about the untouched breakfast in President's room," Charlie said as he seriously recollected what Cheng Jiu said in hurry.

By now it was no secret that the President skipped her meals regular enough to find herself in hospital as a patient more frequently than as the doctor.

So Head Butler Melan and Cheng Jiu coordinated with each other to make sure De Xi had all three meals of the day without fail and fulfills her nutrient requirements properly to nourish herself.

"Okay, I'll get going, my plate is overflowing." the Finance Director said as he nodded towards everyone and quickly left to deal with the work he has.

"Careful, she seems to be in a really bad mood." PR Director warned Charlie as he patted on his back.

"Thanks to you, I guess," Charlie said as he playfully glared at the PR Director who shrugged in return.

Director Allen and the PR Director chuckled softly and left to go back to their respective offices.

"Everyone creates a mess and then I need to clean it up, just how bad are my luck and timing?" Charlie looked at their departing backs and sighed in defeat.

He looked at the towering mahogany door in front of him and sighed once again before pressing the permission buŧŧon on the right side of the double door.

After a moment the door opened and Charlie entered only to be immediately ȧssaulted by a strong depressing and oppressive aura.

"H-Hey Eva, why is the weather so cloudy in your cabin when it is pretty sunny outside?" Charlie started in a lighthearted tone but grimaced when he did not receive any response.

Just when he was about to say something else to start a conversation De Xi spoke up.

"Please go bore, someone else with your existence. I have important things to do." De Xi said indifferently as she flipped to the next page of the file she was reading.

"*hiss* That really hurts lady," Charlie said as he pressed on his ċhėst.

"Did it? Good because it was supposed to." De Xi said in an indifferent and aloof tone without even sparing Charlie another glance.

"You are really bad Eva," Charlie whɨnėd as he sulked like a small child and slumped on the sofa placed in front of De Xi's table.

"I am not Bad. I am just dangerously awful." De Xi said as she shrugged and closed the folder, calmly looking at the sulking child dressed in a grey business suit.

Charlie straightened under her gaze and stopped with his sulking. He cleared his throat awkwardly and smiled at De Xi before he stood up and produced a Pendrive from his blazer pocket.

"The source of rumors," Charlie said as he placed the USB on the table.

"Why are you giving this to me? Shouldn't you give it to the PR Department? And why are you the one digging the source? Are you that free?" De Xi shot questions once after another.

"It was couriered to my office with a letter asking this USB delivered to you, to make sure there was no virus I ran it up on my secretary's desktop and found the source," Charlie explained himself as clearly and shortly as he could.

De Xi frowned as she looked at the USB and then nodded in acknowledgment to what Charlie said.

'What is with USB and people, everyone is giving me one.' De Xi thought to herself as she picked it up and inserted it into her desktop to see its contents.

"Also..." Charlie hesitated.

"What is it?" De Xi asked coldly.

"There was an audio file but it requires a password to open it," Charlie said hesitantly.

"But you don't know the password, right? Give me the note and you can leave." De Xi said as she tapped on the table.

Charlie nodded and took out the note from the inner pocket of his blazer, placing it on the table he left the office without another moment's delay.

"Jeez, why is this woman so scary? I almost felt my soul leave my body" Charlie breathed out shakily as soon as he stepped out of De Xi's office.

"And why are you so dramatic?" Cheng Jiu's cold and professional voice came from her cabin.

Charlie almost shouted out loud in fear but controlled himself at the last moment.

Inside the cabin, the temperature dropped even more as De Xi's hazel eyes bore into the note as if trying to burn it.

'ARE YOU HAPPY?

I KNOW YOU ARE...

- E.V.'

The last two syllables on the note were a glaring scar to De Xi, one she would do everything in her power to erase yet cannot do so.

Shortly the audio file opened but De Xi paused it, unsure if she really wanted to hear it.

After a momentary struggle, De Xi played the audio file, bracing herself for the same voice which caused her endless pain and still gives her nightmares.

Yet what she braced for herself never came, instead, a cello tune was played.

A tune that was like a bucket of cold water poured down on her, freezing her senses and squeezing her heart until she was breathless.

The tune lasted no longer than thirty seconds, at the end was a string of clear laughter of a woman, full of delight and relief.