The Reclaimed Rose (Annalise and Steven)

Sasha seemed to finally understand why Zane's company had grown so big.

The benefits were incredible! No wonder everyone worked so hard!

Eric continued, "We provide three meals a day, housing, and allowances."

Sasha was speechless. She felt like she was dreaming. How could there be such a good company in this world?From NôvelDrama.Org.

...

After they left the office, I kept working. I finished today's drawings, then sat in front of my computer, turning the colored comic into a short video to post online.

Watching the growing number of followers and comments made me smile. They were all so supportive of me. Maybe I should release a little bonus scene today. Excited, I opened the folder, only to be surprised to find more uncolored comics piling up.

It seemed like I couldn't slack off. I buried myself in work again.

"Are you tired?" Zane's voice came from behind me as he walked into the office. "Want me to give you a massage?"

"Just a bit." I leaned back on the couch. "I'd be more than happy to receive a massage."

Zane's large hand landed on my shoulder, and he started gently massaging.

Surprised, I turned to look at him. "You're serious?"

"Yeah." His voice was as cold as usual. But this time, it carried a hint of emotion. "You've been so busy lately. You haven't had much rest."

I didn't deny it. I worked on comics during the day, and at night, I took care of Willow. It wasn't easy.

But all that exhaustion was physical. When I saw the results, it made all the effort feel worthwhile.

Zane spoke slowly, "How about we skip work on Saturday and spend some time with Willow?"

Since Willow didn't have kindergarten that day, I was planning to spend the whole day with her. "Sure!" Feeling Zane's hand lift from my shoulder, I turned to face him. "Do you have somewhere you want to go?"

"My plan is to invite Penelope over to

the house to play with Willow," Zane said. "We'll just watch over them and make sure nothing goes wrong."

Spending time with friends would also help Willow recover.

I liked Zane's idea. So, I smiled and agreed, "Sounds good!"

...

Sasha took a break and quickly ran from Game Department to Zane's office.

Upon hearing the door open, I turned around and was surprised to see Sasha. "What are you doing here?"

"I overheard a juicy gossip outside Game Department!" Sasha plopped down beside me and drank several long gulps from my water bottle.

Her eyes were sparkling. "I just had to come and tell you!"

I usually didn't care much about other people's business, but hearing Sasha this excited piqued my interest. "What is it?"

Sasha quickly began, "There's this weird guy in Game Department. He broke up with his girlfriend and

made her pay back all the money he spent on her. At first, I thought that if he had spent a lot, asking for it back wasn't too unreasonable. But then..."

Sasha paused dramatically. "Guess what kind of money he wanted his ex to return?"

I hesitated. "Rent?"

"No." Sasha shook her head. "Guess again."