Chapter 8: The Cracks Before the Fall
1099 Words
When Gianna finally stepped out of Anthony Sinclair’s office, she could feel the violent trembling in her knees.
Her legs felt weak, as though they might give out at any moment, forcing her to lean against the wall just to steady herself. Her heart was still racing, pounding loudly in her ears, and her palms were damp with cold sweat.
Yet despite the fear still clinging to her chest, there was one small sense of relief she couldn’t ignore.
She wasn’t fired.
At least—not yet.
That alone was enough to keep her breathing. To make her smile just a little.
She stood in front of Anthony’s office for a moment, trying to calm herself, when Anne suddenly appeared down the hallway.
“Oh—Gianna,” Anne said, immediately frowning when she noticed her friend’s pale face. “What happened to you? You look like your soul just escaped your body.” she asked.
Gianna let out a long, shaky breath before turning to her. “My soul really did escape,” she replied weakly. “My entire life just flashed before my eyes.”
Anne blinked, clearly confused by her words.
“What do you mean?” she asked, frowning even more.
Her gaze shifted toward Anthony’s office door, and understanding slowly dawned on her face. She nodded knowingly. “Ah… did he scold you again?”
Gianna nodded in response.
She wanted to tell Anne everything—to explain what had truly happened inside that office. But the moment she imagined her friend’s reaction, she stopped herself.
If Anne found out that their CEO had just offered her a marriage contract, she would completely lose her mind. She would go crazy.
So Gianna kept her mouth shut.
Without another word, she slowly walked back to her desk, her knees still trembling.
“You know,” Anne continued as she powered on her computer, “this just confirms it. Sir Anthony is really mad at you.”
“He really is,” Gianna replied quietly.
She sat down and turned on her own computer, forcing herself to focus on work—to bury everything that had happened earlier deep inside her mind. And to forget the contract that shocked her whole world.
***
Hours passed, and soon the workday came to an end like a second.
Gianna and Anne packed their belongings, exhaustion evident in their movements.
“Are you heading straight back to your apartment?” Anne asked as they walked toward the elevator and stepped inside.
“Yes. I need to pack some of my clothes. I’m going home to my parents’ house,” Gianna replied, glancing down at her phone as she sent a message to her family, informing them about her plan of going home. “I don’t have work tomorrow anyway.” she added.
“That’s a shame,” Anne sighed. “I’d love to go home too, but our house is so far from my apartment—and I’m exhausted.”
“Are your parents still living there?” Gianna asked, as she glanced at her friend.
Anne nodded. “Yeah.”
“Why don’t you just invite them over to your apartment?” Gianna suggested.
Anne’s eyes lit up as she turned toward her. “You’re right! I’ll call them.” Anne said excitedly like a kid.
Gianna smiled faintly and nodded.
When she arrived at her apartment, Gianna quickly packed the things she needed. The most important item of all was her laptop—containing her work files, Anthony’s schedule, and everything she might need at any moment.
She booked a ride home and arrived quickly since it wasn’t too far from her apartment. In truth, she could commute daily from her parents’ house to the company if she wanted to. But as Anthony Sinclair’s personal assistant, she needed to be reachable at all times—ready to appear at a moment’s notice.
As soon as she stepped inside the house, she was nearly knocked over by a tight hug.
“Sister! I missed you so much!” her younger sister, Anna, exclaimed.
Gianna laughed softly and hugged her back. “I missed you too, little one.”
Her gaze then shifted toward her parents.
She released her sister and approached them, respectfully taking their hands. “How are you, Mom? Dad?”
“We’re doing fine,” her mother said with a smile. “How about you? How’s work?”
“It’s okay,” Gianna replied with a small laugh. “I’m surviving—somehow.”
“Come on, let’s eat dinner,” her father said warmly. “We know you’re tired from work.”
They all gathered in the kitchen, said a short prayer, and began eating together. But as they ate, Gianna couldn’t help glancing at her mother.
From the moment she arrived, her mother hadn’t stopped coughing.
“Mom… are you feeling alright?” Gianna asked with concern.
“I’m fine, dear,” her mother replied, though her voice carried unease. “I just got caught in the rain a few days ago. That’s why I’m coughing.”
“Did you take any medicine?” Gianna asked.
“I bought her some earlier,” her father answered. “And I told her to get herself checked tomorrow.”
Gianna nodded, though worry continued to gnaw at her chest.
As dinner continued, she noticed more troubling signs—her mother looked thinner, paler than usual. Something felt wrong.
She tried to brush the feeling aside.
Until suddenly—
Her mother coughed violently. This time, blood came out from her mouth that shocked them all.
Gianna stood up so fast her chair nearly toppled over. “Mom! Are you alright?” she asked as she rushed to her side, rubbing her back anxiously.
“I-I’m fine,” her mother whispered weakly.
Anna quickly grabbed tissues, helping wipe the blood from their mother’s mouth and hands. But fear took hold of them all when she coughed again—vomiting even more blood.
Her nose began to bleed too.
“Mom! Oh my God!” Gianna cried as more blood spilled from her mouth.
Tears streamed down Gianna’s face as her mother suddenly lost consciousness.
Her father reacted instantly, lifting his wife into his arms and rushing out of the house. Gianna and Anna followed closely behind, both crying in panic.
They hurried to the tricycle stand, desperate, and rushed her to the nearest hospital.
Gianna’s heart felt like it was being torn apart with every second that passed. She was trembling as she held her crying sister.
- Writer
