From Sneers to Cheers: Anthea’s Ascent (Anthea )

Others came to play games of chance, yet she came for a wholesale deal.

Anthea turned to The owner with a smooth smile, "Sir, could you do us a solid and deliver these to the base of the hill? We'll hang out there and wait for you."

The owner felt like he'd been hit by a truck.

But in business, integrity's king!

He'd given his word to Anthea. And he'd deliver, even if it meant taking a loss.

You live and learn.

Next time, he won't underestimate anyone. Especially not a pretty young thing like her.

"Sure thing." The owner nodded. "My boy will drop it off in a jiffy. You know the big pine tree down at the bottom? He'll meet you there. Oh, and here's my card, just ring this number if there's a snag."

Anthea took the card graciously, "Thanks you."

"No problem."

In the crowd, a man in a black trench coat stood out like a sore thumb. His gaze fixed on Anthea, piercing as if it could see right through her.

After a moment, he adjusted the wide brim of his hat, shielding his features.

He recalled his assistant's words from the day before.

"Ms. Yeager's files are encrypted. We can't access them without clearance."

Encrypted. Why would an average Jane's files be under lock and key?

Without access to Anthea's records, he had to rely on hearsay.

Was she ignorant, foolish, a deadbeat, barely literate... But none of these labels seemed to fit the woman before him.

By the time Anthea looked up again, he had vanished.

She arched an eyebrow in curiosity. Maybe it was just her imagination.

Soon after, Anthea turned to her friend, "Sarah, let's go."

"Sure thing," Sarah nodded, and they began their descent.

They say going up is easy, coming down is hard – and they weren't kidding.

The climb took an hour, but half an hour into their descent, they'd only covered a third of the distance.

Chatting as they walked, Sarah marveled, "Annie, you're a real ace at those games! Teach me your ways!"

Anthea chuckled, "Sure thing, but don't you have exams to hit the books for? You've got college on the horizon, remember?"

"Oh, right," Sarah sighed. "Guess I'll learn after the big test."

"I've got some study guides at home that could help. I'll grab them for you later," Anthea offered.

"Awesome! You're a lifesaver, Annie."

"Watch out!"

Suddenly, Anthea reached out and grabbed the wrist of a man in front of her.

She was surprisingly strong.

The man barely caught himself, sitting on the steps as he turned to thank her, "Much obliged."

That's when they both did a double-take.

"Mr. Peterson?"

"Ms. Yeager?"

Their names fell from their lips in unison.

"Do you have hypoglycemia, Mr. Peterson?" Anthea asked, crouching beside him.

Alex nodded, his complexion deathly pale, but his lips were an incongruous, striking red, as if painted on.

Anthea fished out a few candies from her pocket, handing them over, "Here, have some candy. It'll perk you right up."

"Thanks," Alex mumbled, accepting the sweets.

"Boss, you alright?" Two men in sharp suits rushed over.

Alex slowly unwrapped a candy and popped it into his mouth, "I'm fine."

The sweetness spread over his tongue, cloying and intense.

Looking up at Anthea, his dark eyes roiled with curiosity, "Where'd you get these candies, Ms. Yeager?"

"ust some White Rabbit Creamy Candy from the grocery store," Anthea replied, somewhat perplexed. "You've never had these before, Mr. Peterson?"

White Rabbit Creamy Candy. Alex frowned, a headache brewing. Exclusive content from NôvelDrama.Org.

Anthea added, "Since your assistants are here, I'll head down with my friend."

Alex stood with their help, still a bit weak, "I owe you one for today, Ms. Yeager."

"Don't mention it."

After Anthea left, Alex extended a hand to his assistant, his expression frosty, "Pen and paper."