THE VISIT
853 Words
A week passed.
Emma settled into her routine. Wake up at 5 AM. Check on her mother. Make breakfast. Leave for work. Spend eight hours in the cafeteria, invisible and silent. Come home. Check on her mother again. Collapse into bed.
It was exhausting.
But it was survivable.
"What's wrong with you?" Bella asked one day at lunch. "You look like you've seen a ghost."
"I'm fine," Emma said. "Just tired."
"You're always tired."
"I'm always working."
Bella sighed. "Emma, you need to take care of yourself. You can't pour from an empty cup."
"I know." Emma forced a smile. "I'm fine. Really."
Bella didn't look convinced. But she didn't push.
---
The morning of the visit was chaos.
Emma arrived at work to find the cafeteria in a frenzy. Employees were running around, cleaning, polishing, rearranging. The head chef was shouting orders. The supervisors were pacing.
"What's going on?" Emma asked one of the other kitchen workers.
"The King is coming," the woman said, her voice trembling. "Alexander King. He's visiting the cafeteria today."
Emma felt her stomach drop. "Why?"
"I don't know. He never comes here. But today he's coming." The woman's eyes were wide. "Everyone's terrified."
Invisible.
Emma remembered the HR manager's words. She was supposed to be invisible. She was supposed to stay out of sight. She was supposed to do her job and not make waves.
She could do that.
"Emma!" Sarah appeared in front of her. "I need you in the kitchen. Now."
Emma nodded and followed her supervisor.
---
The kitchen was chaos.
Chefs were preparing food. Waitstaff were polishing silverware. Everyone was moving with frantic energy.
"Listen up," Sarah said, addressing the kitchen staff. "The King is coming. He'll be here in two hours. Everything must be perfect. The food must be perfect. The service must be perfect. The presentation must be perfect. Does everyone understand?"
The staff nodded.
"Emma," Sarah said, turning to her. "You'll be on plating duty. I need you to make sure every dish is flawless. Is that clear?"
"Crystal."
"Good. Get to work."
---
The next two hours were a blur.
Emma worked nonstop, plating dishes with precision and speed. Her hands moved on autopilot. Her mind was elsewhere.
She thought about the woman who abandoned him. The father who drank himself to death. The boy who had been left alone.
She thought about the man who built an empire from nothing.
And she thought about the danger that surrounded him like a cloud.
"Emma!" Sarah's voice cut through her thoughts. "The King is here. Stay in the kitchen. Don't come out. Don't make eye contact. Don't do anything to draw attention to yourself."
Emma nodded. "Got it."
---
Emma stayed in the kitchen.
She listened to the sounds of the cafeteria. The clinking of silverware. The murmur of voices. The footsteps of the waitstaff.
And then she heard it.
A voice. Deep. Commanding. Cold.
"Is everything to your satisfaction, Mr. King?"
"Yes."
One word. That was all. But it sent a chill down Emma's spine.
She felt her heart pounding.
She wanted to see him. Just a glimpse. Just a peek.
She had to.
She peered through the crack in the kitchen door.
And then she saw him.
Alexander King was sitting at the center table, surrounded by his executives. He was even more intimidating in person. His black hair was perfectly styled. His silver-gray eyes were cold and unreadable. His expensive suit was impeccable.
He was the most beautiful man she had ever seen.
And the most dangerous.
She watched as he lifted a glass of wine to his lips. His movements were graceful, controlled, deliberate. Everything about him was calculated.
And then something happened.
He turned his head.
His eyes met hers.
She froze.
He stared at her. Just for a second. But it felt like an eternity.
And then he looked away.
Emma's heart was pounding.
She stepped back, her body trembling, her mind racing.
Had he seen her? Had she just made the biggest mistake of her life?
"Emma!" Sarah's voice was sharp. "Get back to work!"
Emma nodded and hurried back to her station.
She worked for the rest of the day, her mind spinning.
---
When she finally left, it was dark.
Bella was waiting for her by the fountain.
"Emma! How was the visit?"
"Terrifying."
"Did you see him?"
"Yes."
Bella's eyes widened. "What happened?"
"I looked through the kitchen door. He saw me."
Bella gasped. "Emma! He's not supposed to see you!"
"I know." Emma shook her head. "But I couldn't help it. I had to see him."
Bella stared at her. "You do realize how dangerous he is, right?"
"Yes."
"And you looked at him anyway."
"Yes."
Bella sighed. "You're impossible."
"I know."
---
That night, Emma couldn't sleep.
She lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, replaying the moment over and over in her head.
His eyes. Cold. Unreadable. But also curious.
He had looked at her like she was a puzzle he wanted to solve.
And that terrified her.
She didn't know then.
But she would soon.
---
- Writer
