Revenge

In the evening, Alice entered his office to find Alisha fast asleep.

Approaching her, he gently shook her awake. "Wake up! We need to go," he said.

Alisha stirred, her eyes fluttering open to meet Alice's gaze, immediately sitting up.

"Would you like some snacks?" Alice asked, unfazed by her sudden alertness.

"Snacks?" Alisha's confusion was evident, still groggy from her unexpected awakening.

"Yes, it's already evening, and you might be hungry too. Having some snacks would help," Alice replied warmly.

"No," Alisha's stomach betrayed her denial with a rumble, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment.

She nervously tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, feeling shy under Alice's amused gaze.

Alice chuckled at her reaction. "It's okay. I'm hungry. We should grab some snacks. Do you want to explore my office and eat in the canteen, or would you prefer to stay here?"

His words left her wondering what he wanted from her. She couldn't believe he wanted to show her his office; it wasn't something she had expected.

Hearing Alice's suggestion, Alisha hesitated for a moment, unsure of what to choose. She glanced around the office, feeling a mix of curiosity and nervousness. "Um, maybe we can eat here," she finally replied, her voice slightly uncertain.

Alice nodded, understanding her hesitation. "Sure, let's do that. I'll grab some snacks from the pantry," he said with a reassuring smile.

As Alice disappeared into the pantry, Alisha took the opportunity to look around the office.

She noticed the neatly organised desks, the soft glow of the lamps, and the faint hum of computers. It was a different side of Alice she hadn't seen before, and it intrigued her.

When Alice returned with a tray of snacks, he noticed Alisha glancing around. "I got the table replaced while you were sleeping," he explained. "The staff told me, so I didn't want to disturb you."

Alisha's eyes betrayed her curiosity, even though she tried to hide it.

Sitting beside her, Alice offered a few snacks. As they nibbled, Alisha couldn't help but wonder, ‘Can he read minds?’ Shocked by the idea that he could literally hear her thoughts, she found herself answering without him even asking anything.

Alisha felt a shiver of surprise run down her spine at the thought of Alice reading her mind. It seemed like he could anticipate her every thought without her saying a word.

Alice noticed her puzzled expression and chuckled softly. "I can't read minds, Alisha," he reassured her, as if sensing her unease. "It's just that your expressions give it all.”

Alisha became even more perplexed as Alice seemed to understand her thoughts once again, as if he could see right through her.

His words echoed in her mind, making her wonder if her expressions were giving everything away, just as he had said.

"Eat first, then use your head. It's not a good idea to waste your energy thinking so much on an empty stomach," Alice advised, handing her a sandwich and a soft drink. He grabbed a granola bar and a can of coffee for himself.

Alisha glanced at the food in front of her and then at Alice's modest portion. "Are you only going to eat this much?" she asked, surprised.

Alice chuckled at Alisha's question, shaking his head. "I'm used to light snacks in the evening. Besides, I prefer not to eat too heavily before heading home," he explained, taking a sip of his coffee.

"With this big body too? You eat so little?" She asked again, puzzled by the contrast between his size and his portion size.

Even with her small body, he gave her so much to eat, and she couldn't deny enjoying it. But seeing him with so little food seemed almost inconceivable given his stature.

As she looked at the sandwich, a thought crossed her mind: ‘Is this poisonous? Maybe he's getting back at me for what happened before?’

‘Didn't he forgive me?’ she wondered to herself.

Alisha's mind raced with doubts and guilt as she stared at the sandwich in front of her. She couldn't shake off the feeling that there was something more to this than just a simple snack.

Trying to push aside her suspicions, she forced herself to take a bite, hoping to dispel her doubt.

But with each chew, her unease only grew stronger.

Alice noticed her hesitation and furrowed his brows in concern. "Is everything okay, Alisha?" he asked, his voice laced with worry.

Alisha looked up at him, her eyes reflecting her uncertainty. "I... I'm not sure," she admitted hesitantly. "It's just... I can't shake off this feeling that there's something wrong."

Alice reached out and gently placed a hand on her shoulder, offering her a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, Alisha. There's nothing wrong with the food. I promise," he said earnestly, hoping to ease her mind.

Despite his assurance, Alisha couldn't help but feel a lingering sense of doubt. Something didn't quite add up, and she couldn't shake off the feeling that there was more to this than meets the eye.

"I understand you have doubts, but the food was packed beforehand. How could I tamper with it?" Alice reasoned, puzzled by why such thoughts were even crossing her mind.

Her expression betrayed her fear that he had poisoned her food, a notion he found absurd. Why would he ever do such a thing?

All he wanted was her company, not to harm her. She was simply overthinking.

It seemed that in situations where she should be thinking clearly, she overanalyzed, while in moments where she didn't need to think, she let her mind run wild.

Alisha's mind raced with conflicting thoughts as she tried to rationalise Alice's words.

"I don't mean it," Alisha said softly, feeling embarrassed by her unfounded suspicions.

Alice reached out and squeezed her hand gently, offering her a reassuring smile. "If I wanted to harm you, I wouldn't be doing it this way. I'd be straightforward about it," he said calmly.

"What?!" Alisha gasped, feeling her breath catch in her throat. The calmness with which Alice spoke about harming her sent chills down her spine, making her regret taking a bite of her food.

‘Am I going to die?’ she wondered, her mind swirling with fear and uncertainty.