An Ember That Burns Out

Chapter One: A warm welcome to the CEO

Liliana was sitting in her woodworking shed. She'd been living out on her own for little over a year now. Within that time frame she ended up getting a new neighbor. Professor Lucien moved in next door to her and ever since he moved there him and Liliana ended up forming a new friendship. Lucien from time to time would help Liliana with new projects for her doll houses and or taking them to where they needed to be taken to. Victor would sometimes get jealous of hers and Lucien's bond but he would try to keep his composure around her but Liliana could tell by the change of his demeanor. Liliana sitting in front of her table holding a thin piece of wood carving the railing for the staircase. She placed the thin piece of wood and the carving tool she was using and stretched.
"Lord Victor is such a strict boss!" She rubbed the back of her neck.
"And he says I have two more to complete! God who does he think I am!!" Lucien walking in behind her with two cups of hot herbal tea.
"Liliana Mitzuki is who you are." He smiled and handed her the cup.
"Haha very funny Lucien." She took a sip.
"Ow!" She burnt her tongue.
She pulled out her tongue and fanned it. "Why didn't you tell me it was hot."
Lucien snickered. "Well you didn't give me enough time to tell you before you took a sip."
Liliana nodded and sat her cup down still fanning her tongue. Lucien looked at the doll house nearly finished in front of Liliana.
"Are you going to be finished in time?" She turned in her chair and looked at Lucien.
"Well who do you think I am? I'm Liliana Mitzuki! Of course I'll have it done in time!" Lucien nodded and placed his hand on her shoulder.
"I believe you. So when do you think you'll have the doll house done?" She sighed and took a sip of her tea.
"Tomorrow for sure." Lucien nodded his head again.
"So what do you have planned for this weekend?" Liliana pondered.
"Well nothing really. Victor said something about going out to dinner this weekend. But he is away right now on a business trip. So he might not be back on time. I'm sure he wouldn't want to share a meal with me." She pouted and sipped on her tea.
Lucien laughed. "So a date?" Liliana was now flustered. Her cheeks were now a dark shade of pink.
"N-N-No.." She sipped on her tea. Lucien laughed again.
"I'm sure he'll love eating dinner with you. Dinners with you aren't boring after all Liliana." She giggled.
"I don't know Lucien. If you knew the man you'd probably say otherwise.." She slowly sipped on her tea her cheeks still flustered. 'A date? No.. No.. NO WAY!!!" Liliana thinking about this weekend. 'Could it be a date? No impossible! Well.. he is a total tsundere so he wouldn't tell me at all!'
Lucien pulled Liliana out of her day dream. "What are you thinking about over there little flower?"
Liliana smiled. "Well.. I was thinking about how much my boss is a tsundere.."
She giggled. Lucien was curious. Not sure what a 'tsundere' was.
"What's a 'tsundere'?" Liliana sat her cup down and looked at Lucien.
"Okay a tsundere is..well a tsundere describes a person who is initially cold and or sometimes even hostile before gradually showing a warmer, friendlier side over time. And well that's my boss. In the beginning I could've cared less if he disappeared off the face of the planet but now..now I honestly need him. Well not so much of a 'need' more of a want. I'll wait no matter how long it takes for him to realize my feelings for him.."
Lucien patted her head. "I'm sure he will my little flower now lets go clean up these cups and lets get you home."
Lucien picked up their cups and Liliana threw a tarp over her project and locked up for the night.

Liliana now ready for bed and laid in her bed looking up at the stars in her bed. She was slowly dozing off when her phone rang. She tiredly picked up her phone and answered.
"Hello?" Liliana yawned.
"So are you finished with the doll house?" Liliana sat up in her bed.
"Victor?" Victor on the other end scoffed.
"Of course dummy. Who else would it be?" Liliana sighed.
"I'm just about done with the doll house yes.." Victor took a drink of his brandy.
"Good. You do know after this you have two more-." Liliana laid back on her bed.
"Victor yes I understand but please cut me some slack. I've been working without a single break! Please can we just hold off and let me at least have a rest." Victor scoffed.
"Hm alright. After this doll house take a few days off." Liliana dropped her jaw.
"You have to be kidding me! Just a few days. Can I at least have a week or something off." Victor laughed and took another drink of his Brandy. Liliana could hear the ice clink in his glass each time he brought it up to his lips. Liliana imagining a drip of water from his glass dripping off his glass, landing on his neck, slowly running down his Adams apple, and down to his chest. Liliana was very flustered. Victor cleared his throat taking Liliana out of her thought.
"Well when I get home I'll reward you. But unfortunately I will not be back until next week."
Liliana sighed. "What? Why are you sighing? Were you.. were you really looking forward to this weekend?"
Liliana frantically shook her head. "N-N-No.. I mean it's not like it was a date anyways.." Liliana playing with the necklace that Victor gave her during the Christmas party last year at LFG.
Victor cleared his throat. "Well I'll let you get some sleep. Give me a report when you have completed-."
Liliana rolled on to her side. "Yes yes I know. Night Victor. Be safe.." Liliana closed out her phone and laid it on her night stand next to her bed and slowly fell to sleep.

Victor sat on a plane drinking his Brandy he on was his way back to Loveland City from Russia. He looked out the window thinking to himself. He knew his feelings were starting to grow for this strange girl. He knew he could have any woman in the world. A model or anyone but those women didn't make him feel the way she makes him feel. He wanted to tell her but wasn't sure how to tell her or if it was the right time to tell her. She was now becoming the apple to his eye. That sweet smile, her flowery fragrance, those beautiful blue eyes. As dark as the bluest sea. Her kindness even though he was brash, rude, and hard on her but she still didn't turn away from him. She's dealt with his antics and his behavior. He knew this girl meant everything to him. He would do anything to make sure she kept that beautiful smile and kept smiling at him and only him. He wanted to make sure that sparkle always stayed in her eyes. 

Liliana back in her wood working shed still working on the doll house. She was nearly completed and she was very happy with the doll house.
"I hope this is what the client wanted. But I'm sure she will love it!" Liliana placed the window piece down and stretched out.
"I wonder where Lucien is? I didn't see him this morning. Well I'm sure he is very busy."
Liliana stood up and walked into the house to get herself another cup of coffee. She walked back out to the shed and sat back down.
"Well since Victor won't be back until next week I guess I can get me a bottle of Saki." She took a sip of her coffee and burnt the top of her lip.
She quickly sat her cup down and fanned her lip.
"Man why do I always do that to myself!" She looked at her doll house again and smiled again. Her top lip a little tingly from the hot coffee. She pulled her phone out of her pocket and text Victor.
"I hope you are being safe on your business trip. See you when you're back." Sent! She picked back up the window piece and went back to work.

Liliana woke up that morning exhausted. Each time she always felt much more tired compared to yesterday or the day before. She slowly got out of her bed and walked to her kitchen to start the brewing of her coffee.
She turned and leaned against the counter looking up at the ceiling. "Okay so I have to deliver the doll house to the client and come back home." She rubbed the sides of her temples and closed her eyes. She opened them and seen the coffee pot was ready. She grabbed her favorite coffee mug, she walked over to her couch and sat down.She blew on it before taking a sip. She sat her coffee cup down and pulled out her laptop and turned it on. She pulled up her 'email' tab and scrolled through the emails. Countless emails from an unknown source saying 'We know' with an attachment photo on it. It's been almost a year since her grandfather was murdered and these emails began and now they have started up again. She closed her laptop and grabbed her cup of coffee and took a sip.
Liliana looked out her window and sighed. "It's almost spring."
She said aloud to herself. "I wonder if Victor will be back soon. Hopefully safely."
She sighed again and took a sip of her coffee. She finished the rest of her coffee and went to go get dressed to go to the workshed to deliver the doll house. She grabbed her phone and seen a text message from Lucien.
"I'm sorry Liliana. I will be out of town for the rest of the week. I called a moving truck to help you deliver the doll house to the client. I'll make it up to you when I get back into town." Liliana smiled and texted Lucien back.
"It's okay. I appreciate that. I hope you are safe and see you when your back." Sent.

When Liliana arrived at her grandparents house there were two vehicles waiting for her. A moving truck and a all black vehicle. 'Is..Is Victor back?' She hurriedly walked to the back yard and seen the wood working shed was open. She walked up to the door and she dropped her bag.
"So I see you have been pretty busy." Without a second thought she ran behind Victor and about knocked him over, wrapping her arms around him smiling in his back.
"Be careful dummy." Liliana smiled taking in his sweet smell. Leather and Brandy.
"I thought you weren't coming back until next week?" Victor chuckled and patted her on the head.
"Well change of plans." Liliana trying to hide her blushing face in Victor's back. 'I'm so happy he is back! Safe and in one piece.'
Victor looking at the doll house. "So I'm helping you take this doll house to the client and I'll take you back home. Make sure your schedule is free this weekend. I'm taking you to Souvenir this weekend."
Liliana unwrapped her arms that were around him and Victor turned to look down at her. He seen her face a bright shade of pink. He missed seeing her smiling face and her deep blue eyes. He pulled her into his arms and gave her a hug.
"Uhm.. Victor?" Victor smiled.
"Hm?" Liliana looked up at Victor.
"Are you okay? This isn't like you." He cleared his throat and went back to his poker-face expression.
"Forget that ever happened. Don't make me repeat myself. I'll pick you up this weekend at 8:00."
He let Liliana go and fixed his tie. "I'll take the doll house to the moving truck. I'll see you around front."
Victor grabbed the doll house and walked out of the shed. Liliana watched him walk out and scratched the top of her head. 'Uhm did that just happen?' Liliana was in a daze. 'Did he.. Just hug me.. AND SMILED!' Liliana sat on the bar stool still looking out the door. Her face becoming flustered again she covered her face and shook her head. 'I cannot BELIEVE that just happened!' She stood back up. 'WAIT! IS IT.. NO. WAIT. IS HE TAKING ME OUT ON A DATE!' Liliana's face became a brighter shade of pink.
"WHAT WOULD I EVEN WEAR!' Victor was standing in the doorway watching Liliana.
"Are you going to stand there and continue acting like a moron or do you want to deliver this doll house to the client?" Liliana snapped out of her thought and looked at Victor now embarrassed.
"Easy for you to say. You were just smiling a moment ago. For a minute there I thought the real you was abducted." She walked passed Victor and smiled."
Victor turned and looked at her. "And what is that suppose to mean?"
Liliana ignored him. "Hey I'm talking to you."