Hi Guys! I'm back! Please feel free to leave a review and let me know how you are feeling about this story. I got this concept by watching the new Beauty and the Beast with Emma Watson. So it's basically a story about Rose as she searches for Lissa and what she'll find when she gets there. So this story will be an alternate history story, but I can't say it's all human. That's all I'll give away about this story.

I hope you guys enjoy! This chapter will probably be the shortest chapter of the entire book. It'll be a lengthy story as well, and I am working on doing longer chapters to have fewer chapters overall.

Also, going forward, I will be updating every Sunday so stay tuned! Keep in mind that I will be uploading and updating other stories on Sundays as well and to check them out too! Thanks guys! As always Read and Review!


Rose's POV

Flashback

"Rose! Are you ready?" Lissa's voice carried up the stairs.

I was currently in my two story townhouse, putting on makeup to head out. Lissa worked as an in-home nurse, if you called a mansion a home. The owner of the mansion hired her to work under the resident doctor, to help handle anything that happened day to day. Supposedly, he had a lot of guests and employees that he wanted to insure that he could give constant care to if the situation arised.

I put my eyeliner back on my desk, before making my way for the door. Lissa and Christian, her boyfriend of three years, were waiting at the bottom of the stairs.

"What took you so long?" Christian asked, as he put on his jacket.

"It takes time to look this good." I replied, jokingly.

"Well, let's go. The last thing I want is to be late to an event I catered." He stated, opening the door for Lissa and I.

Christian worked for the owner of the mansion as well. When she first got a job there, she would come home telling me about the wonderful man from the kitchen, it wasn't until she brought him home that I realized how much I would dislike this man. Christian and I disagreed a lot. There were many things that I disapproved of with him, however, he has spent the past three years making Lissa happy, so I have learned to bite my tongue about him.

When we arrived at the party, a valet took the keys from Christian and we walked inside. The mansion was definitely immaculate, and well worth whatever the owner was paying for. Everything was lit up and on display for the guests of the evening. There were easily over a hundred guests already and the night was still young.

While I had never met the owner of the mansion, supposedly he was a very generous and hardworking man. Lissa has always spoken quite highly of him and he really must be generous to allow of his staff to live with him as a part of their employment benefits. He also gave them bonuses quite often. Lissa and Christian were currently saving up for a house together that they wanted to buy someday.

After I explored the ballroom a bit with Lissa and Christian, I wandered off to get something to drink. They had coworkers and friends that were attending tonight, so they wanted to catch up with them as well. The party tonight was a holiday ball that the owner of the mansion hosted each year. Every event he hosted, he allowed his staff to join and bring guests to, and used a staffing service to wait on the guests. Meaning, Christian had the night off.

As I stopped at the bar, the bartender was off helping another customer at the other end, meaning I would be waiting to get his attention. I slid onto a stool while I waited for him to finish with his customer.

"Ambrose." A man called from a seat down from me at the bar. The bartender looked over at the man, before he continued. "Bring the lady whatever she asks for." The bartender stopped what he was doing, before heading over to me.

"What'll you have Miss?" He asked, from in front of me. Glancing at the man next to me, I noticed a drink that looked like whiskey in his hand.

"I'll have what he's having." I replied, gesturing to the man. He nodded before walking off to make my drink.

"Enjoying yourself this evening?" The man asked, as I leaned against the bar waiting for the bartender. His messy brown hair, and green eyes were striking against his well-tailored suit.

"Mildly." I mused, turning towards him and resting my arm on the bar.

"Where's your date? It's hard to believe someone dressed like yourself would be free this evening?" He asked,with a sly smirk.

"She's off with her boyfriend mingling." I replied, gesturing to the dance floor. "What about you? You seem to be alone as well."

"My wife is off helping the owner of this fine establishment. It takes time for this place to look this extravagant." He huffed, reaching for his drink and taking a sip.

"I thought that all employees had the night off?" I asked, as the bartender put my drink in front of me, before walking back to the other end of the bar.

"They do. However, she prefers to," He paused, swallowing. "keep busy."

"I see." I smiled, before taking a sip. Yup. Definitely, whiskey. "What does she do?"

"She's the resident accountant here. But tonight she's helping out, I suppose." He replied.

"You don't sound too sure." I stated, unsure if I should be prying this much.

"I'm not. She's very secretive these days." He continued, taking another sip.

"What do you do for work?" I asked, hoping changing the topic would be more lighthearted. The last thing I wanted was to upset one of the guests here. I would never want to hurt Lissa.

"I'm the resident doctor here. Although, saying that sounds like I have patients." He chuckled, taking another sip.

"You're Lissa's boss?" I asked intrigued.

"You know Vasilisa?" He asked, looking at me.

"She's the friend I was telling you about." I explained. "She invited me to come with her tonight."

"It is indeed a small world." He mused, finishing his drink.

"I'm Rose." I introduced, holding my hand out to him.

"Adrian." He spoke, taking my hand his in. He brought it to his lips, before releasing it. "A beautiful name for a beautiful woman."

"There you are, honey! I've been looking everywhere for you." A woman rushed up, speaking quickly to Adrian.

"I've been here." He gestured to the bar. "Clearly not everywhere, Natalie." I glanced down at my drink, uncomfortable with the way the conversation turned.

"Honey, please. Not in front of guests." She scolded, glancing in my direction. Adrian sighed before standing up. He reached into his pocket, tossing some money on the bar.

"It's been a pleasure, Rose. I hope we see each other again some time." He stated, barely glancing at his wife, who was standing right next to him.

He walked off, with his wife trailing after him. Clearly, there were issues there.

"Rose!" Lissa called, walking up to the bar.

"Hey, Liss." I exhaled, looking over at her.

"Are you okay?" She asked.

"Look. I think I'm going to go. This doesn't seem like my kind of soiree." I said, thinking back to my conversation with Adrian.

"Do you want us to drive you home? I can go get Christian." She offered.

"No. You two stay and have fun. Enjoy yourselves." I smiled, giving her a hug.

"Okay." She said, looking sympathetic. "Here. Take Christian's car. We can come get it in the morning. I don't want you taking a taxi at this hour."

"Thanks, Liss." I smiled again. "I'll call you tomorrow."

The next afternoon, I hadn't heard from Lissa after calling her twice with no avail. I decided to call Christian to be safe, but he didn't answer either. I left it alone, assuming that they were probably up late last night, and probably couldn't go to their rooms until all the guests left.

However, the next day, I still hadn't heard from them. I thought back over my night with them wondering if she would be mad at me about something. Seeing no fault in my interactions last night, I worried that maybe something else might of happened to them. I hoped they were okay.

It's been almost a month since I heard from them. Either of them. I tried filing a missing persons' report with the police but during their investigation, they told me they found no reason to continue the process. They knew something I didn't. I was sure of it. I also tried going back to the mansion, but everything has been locked down tight. They even shut down the bridge, which was the only driveable access point to the main gates of the property. It was so frustrating to not know anything about them.

I wasn't even able to contact their employer to make sure they were safe. He was unlisted everywhere, even the mansion's address was listed only as a private owner. I couldn't afford to quit my job as a women's self defense instructor, so I had to wait until the weekend, when I had time off. I had taken a few days off at the beginning of Lissa and Christian's disappearance, so I could try and find them. But when the police turned up nothing useful, I had to go back to work.

After weeks of no real answers, I decided that I was going to drive as close as I could to the mansion and hike the rest of the way onto the property. I even planned on bringing tools to climb the wall if that was what it came down to. Based on maps of the area, I knew I had at least a two hour hike to the gates themselves through the woods, and then another hike to the mansion on the property. The maps I had, were unsure of the distance from the gates to the mansion itself, so I was preparing for the worst of it to be after the gates, but I would do anything for Lissa.