Despite promising to see me at work today, Hunter has been noticeably absent. I doubt he's avoiding me because that doesn't seem to fit his personality, but I can't help but wonder if there is a reason no one knows where he's at. While I don't exactly have any evidence to back it up, I can't help but think he has a lot of secrets he is keeping.

Since lunch has already passed, I can only assume he will not be coming into work today. Although, no one knows for sure since he didn't phone in to say he was going to be missing work today, nor did he contact anybody.

I wonder why he left our date early yesterday. I mean dinner, it wasn't a date. It was just a meal shared between two co-workers trying to get to know each other better. It's too bad it ended early, I was really enjoying myself and I think he was too.

Before I know it, it's time to leave work and Hunter never showed up. I don't know how I was able to survive work day after day before he  decided to talk to me. Today has been so boring without him as a companion to talk to while running experiments and filling out paper work.

As always, the first thing Joy does when I get home is ask to go be with her friends, and like every time I tell her she can because there is no way I can deny her anything that innocent after everyone she's lost. She needs to have time to be a kid and hang out with her friends. It's a sad world we live in that she has to be so serious all the time because of every uncontrollable thing that's happening around her.

I have the house to myself since Kayla is not home yet, but instead of decoding more of the journal like I probably should, I decide to take a walk outside. It's too lonely in this house all alone even though the house isn't that big.

As I turn the corner, I catch a glimpse of Charlotte talking into her synced watch in a hushed frantic whisper. Ducking behind a tree, I couldn't help but try and listen in on the conversation even though I could only hear her side of it.

"Yes,  I'm aware you believe we can't trust him-"

"No, don't cut me off. I am still your superior even if you refuse to treat me with the respect my station deserves."

"Absolutely not, I refuse to even consider that as a possibility."

"Listen, I don't have time for this right now. Unlike you, I am very busy."

"No, I need to go. The last thing we need is for anyone from London to hear about this."

"That's enough, you know the consequences if you fail. Goodbye."

I quickly step deeper into the woods hoping she won't see me, as she heads back towards the direction from which I came. Despite her paranoia, I don't think she noticed me. If she had, I don't even want to think about the trouble I would have been in.

I know the Elite like to keep secrets, but for some reason I didn't think Charlotte would have a big secret like this. And it has to be huge secret because she's so scared of other people finding out. I don't think this has anything to do with Hunter's  sudden disappearance. He doesn't seem to get along with Charlotte that well, so I don't think he would be working with her, but I don't know for sure.

Since Charlotte's past seems to be so entangled with that of my parents, maybe I should look at decoding the journal more in hopes that it will give me some hints as to what she could be up to now.

I could ask Hunter, but  I'm not sure I trust him enough nor do I know him that well to ask him such a question that could have dangerous consequences. Especially since I would have to admit to have been eavesdropping on Charlotte secret conversation in the first place in order to be able to ask him for help. I wouldn't dare ask Kayla to help because I don't want to risk her getting caught up in a dangerous situation that I don't understand. As it is, I'm not even sure if I should pursue my curiosity because I don't want it to backlash and end up hurting Joy.

Since I've definitely had enough of a walk for today, I decide to head back to our mini home in hopes that Kayla is finally back from work. However, by the time I reach home there's no need to use a key or even knock to get in because Alyssa comes storming out just as I arrive leaving the door wide open.

"Well, what did you do to make her mad this time?" I ask Kayla without even having to look to make sure it's her as I walk into the door.

"Why do you always assume it's my fault? Can't it be her fault sometimes? I mean, she's the one that's always overreacting." Kayla replies defensively.

"Because," I respond with a smirk. "You are always trying take her mad and attempting to get a rise out of her."

"It's not my fault she gets angry so easily. Consider it my way of trying to help her calm her temper and learn to control it better."

"She might like us more if we were not so agonistic towards her. Maybe if we try being super nice to her she might like us, that is, if she is capable of liking anybody. She could end up being a really good friend."

"Not even your sister Joy, with all of her infinite optimism could convince me that Alyssa has the potential to one day be my friend."

"Don't you think that's a bit harsh?  Not that I think she would ever like us either, but we could at least try."

"Remember how we tried to be nice to her the first time we met, and the second, and the third. Every single time we try, she just throws it back in our faces."

"Good point, it would be a waste of our time. Anyways, I have to tell you about my day."

I tell her everything, except of course Charlotte's secret conversation which I wasn't supposed to overhear. I really hope tomorrow is just a normal day.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter.
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