Allison's POV:
I stared at him in shock, my eyes wide open, unable to blink. The sight of him at my doorstep in the middle of the night was bewildering. I questioned my senses, thinking it was a hallucination caused by my abrupt awakening from deep sleep. Desperate for a different view, I tightly shut my eyes and vigorously rubbed them, hoping for a change. However, upon reopening my eyes, he was still there, standing with a smirk, gazing into my eyes.
"I'm real," he asserted, and I struggled to believe it.
"What - what?" I stammered in disbelief.
"Wouldn't you invite me in?" he politely inquired, while I vigorously shook my head in refusal.
"How - how did you get here?" I asked, my voice trembling.
"Well, you left your ID card near my building. I took it as an invitation," he revealed with a wide smile, sending shivers down my spine.
"Invitation?" I questioned, unable to comprehend.
"Yes, an invitation to..." His smile faded, and his face turned serious, almost monstrous. "To kill you," he finished bitterly.
My eyes widened once more as he shifted his coat and extracted a gun from his side. Trembling like a leaf, I clung to the door in shock.
"No, please..." I pleaded, shaking my head in refusal.
"Goodbye, Allison Wesley," he uttered bitterly, extending his hand with the gun pointed at me. He pulled the trigger, shooting me directly in the forehead as I let out a piercing scream.
As I screamed and gasped for breath, confusion engulfed me. I wondered how was I still breathing after being shot. I was anxious and disoriented, unable to see anything in front of me, but I could hear faint music. Struck by a sudden realization, I snapped my eyes open and found myself face to face with Harry Potter. I realized I was safe and alive, sitting on my bed in my room, surrounded by movie posters. It was an incredibly vivid dream. Gasping for air, I ran my fingers through my hair, pushing it back, and took deep breaths to calm myself down.
"God..." I exclaimed in frustration. "This person could give me a heart attack and kill me, even without a gunshot," I cried, surveying my room with relief as the music grew louder.
"Why is Amanda having a party outside?" I grumbled in frustration, accompanied by the chirping of birds outside my window. I smiled at their cheerful melody, realizing that Amanda must be cooking something delicious in the kitchen, the aroma wafting into my room. Although tempted, I knew I couldn't eat at that moment, with a lingering lump in my throat, haunted by thoughts of Jacob Hayes and his unsettling invitation. Taking a deep breath, I rose from my bed and made my way to the bathroom to get dressed.
After getting ready, I stepped out of my room and found Amanda dancing in the kitchen to the song playing in the living room.
"Why all the early morning music?" I asked loudly, perplexed by the situation.
"Hey, you're up! Let's eat pancakes," Amanda exclaimed, as I approached her. I smiled, gazing at the delicious pancakes topped with maple syrup, but my appetite had vanished.
"They look delicious, Am... But I can't eat right now," I said, my distress evident.
"Why?" Amanda questioned, placing her hand on my shoulder. "You've been stressed out since last night, Allison. Is everything okay?" Concern filled her eyes.
"Yeah, everything's fine... Just work stress," I replied, rubbing my forehead.
"You shouldn't stress so much, Allison. It's not good," Amanda suggested.
"I know... I'm trying," I replied, nodding and taking a deep breath. "But what's with the loud music?"
"Oh, yesterday I was scrolling through Instagram and saw a post. It said that working out in the morning while listening to music is great for mental and physical health. So I can't start working out suddenly, but I can take baby steps, right? Hence, the music," she explained, and I chuckled.
"But the volume..." I started, and she swiftly strode over to the music player and promptly reduced the volume.
"Now let's enjoy those pancakes," she declared, returning to the table.
"Am, I don't..." I began, but she raised an eyebrow, silently urging me to join her.
"Fine," I reluctantly agreed, not wanting to disappoint her. She had made the pancakes for us, and I decided to have some for her sake. We sat down, and she started recounting the story of a colleague who was trying to hit on her. We laughed and had a wonderful time together, momentarily forgetting the looming drama involving Jacob. However, I knew it was only temporary, and soon I would have to confront the Jacob situation.
After relishing the delectable pancakes, Amanda grabbed her belongings and said, "Do you want me to drop you off at your office?"
"No, it's alright," I initially replied, then reconsidered. "Actually, you can drop me off today."
"Great, let's go," she exclaimed, smiling widely. I followed closely behind as we headed downstairs.
During the journey to my office, we engaged in lighthearted conversation about various random topics and the happenings in Dallas. It was refreshing to divert my thoughts from Jacob and the mafia. I felt a sense of relief, thanks to Amanda's presence.
"Thanks a lot, Am... You've lifted my spirits," I expressed as I stepped out of the car.
"Come on... See you tonight. Bye," she cheerfully bid farewell, and I nodded.
Entering my office and making my way to my department, someone tapped me from behind, causing me to gasp and catch my breath. I turned around to find Sylvie holding a cup of coffee.
As I tried to regain my composure, she chuckled and inquired, "What happened to you?"
"You scared me," I complained.
"Sorry," she said, laughing lightly, then draped her arm around my shoulder as we walked towards the cabin.
"So, how's your investigation going?" Sylvie asked.
"Yeah about that… We didn't get a chance to discuss it. What did you find out about that billionaire?" Dorothy chimed in.
"Well, it's..." I began.
"Actually, I saw him on TV yesterday. He's incredibly handsome, by the way," Dorothy exclaimed with excitement, causing me to roll my eyes. "I bet he looks even better in person."
"Even in dreams," I murmured.
"What?" Dorothy questioned, puzzled.
"Oh, nothing. It's over... We're not investigating that billionaire anymore," I informed them.
"But why?" Sylvie inquired.
"I don't know... Josiah told me to abandon the plan, as he can be dangerous," I explained, taking a deep breath.
"Well, if he's dangerous, then it's better to quit. No one should get hurt, right?" Sylvie added.
"Yeah," I agreed, nodding. Suddenly, it struck me that I needed a new ID card. "I have to go to Josiah," I stated, and as they nodded in understanding, I walked away and headed to Josiah's office. Knocking on the door, I entered and found him engrossed in his laptop.
"Hey," I greeted.
"Oh, hey, Allison. Come in," he replied, looking up. I made my way to a chair and sat down. "So, what brings you here?"
"Um, actually, I'll need a new ID card," I hesitantly informed him.
"What? Why? Did you lose it?" he asked.
"Yeah, I did... and I have no idea where I might have dropped it," I confessed.
"Okay, no problem. I'll ask Meredith to make a new one for you," he assured me. I smiled in gratitude.
"But, Allison, didn't someone contact you?" Josiah inquired curiously.
"What?" I grew restless. "Why... why would someone contact me? And who?"
"No, I mean, if you dropped your ID card somewhere, someone should contact you if they found it. Your number and address were on it, right?" Josiah explained, and I nodded.
"Yeah, someone should have contacted me, but no one did," I nervously replied.
"Well, no problem. You'll get a new card, don't worry," he reassured me, offering a smile. I stood up from the chair and walked back to the door.
Throughout the day, my mind remained preoccupied with thoughts of Jacob Hayes, hindering my work. His presence in my thoughts was aggravating, and I couldn't shake him off. Fortunately, Meredith was kind enough to provide me with a new ID card. Nevertheless, I couldn't stop thinking about the old one that Jacob had in his possession. It made me anxious, wondering if he would call me again. The clock struck 12 pm, and I was still in my office, but there was no sign of his call. I spent the entire day consumed by thoughts of him.
Around 5 in the evening, as I exited my office to head home, I stood on the sidewalk, waiting for a cab. Suddenly, a car pulled up in front of me, causing my heart to race. Two men emerged from the vehicle and stared at me, sending shivers down my spine.
"What... um, what's going on?" I asked, bewildered.
"Get in the car," one of the men ordered.
"What? Why? Who are you?" I questioned, confused, and glanced back, contemplating if I could run and seek help.
"He wants to see you," he replied, and my heart raced as he began walking towards me...