Chapter One: The New Boss

Maybe the fact that the streets were packed and the taxis were blatantly ignoring the brunette began her day's misfortune. There was a possibility that it really commenced the moment she stepped outside, being met with grey skies. She stood amidst the pouring rain and colourful umbrellas, tapping her foot impatiently.

She held out her hand, mustering much patience as she watched every single mode of transportation pass her.

For some unknown reason, she felt anxious and highly wary. There was this ringing at the back of her mind yelling at her to back away. As if on cue, a car drove fast, successfully splashing the girl in the face. Her mouth was pressed in a thin line, conserving whatever self-control was left within her.

"Crap."

She wiped her eyes with her sleeve, not caring about whatever mess stained her clothes, seeing as it already was tainted—more like soaked— with the worse kind of germs. The impact left her sea green orbs growing ten shades darker as it glared at the retreating form of the car. Observing it carefully, she engraved the plate number, ZFX 576, in her memories.

A sigh of exasperation escaped her lips before she could stop herself. She pulled back her left sleeve for a moment to glance at the time, hoping that she wasn't late for work.

"Damn."

She cursed to herself for the second time that day. Never did she consider herself as a woman with a vulgar mouth yet these words did nothing but bring a foul taste to her tongue, stinging her lips with guilt. Her stomach couldn't begin to fathom what would happen if she said a worse alternative.

8:43 am

"You have got to be kidding me! I'm thirteen minutes late for work!"

Annoyed, pissed, revolted, and vexed. These were the words describing her exact feeling at the moment. There wasn't a single taxi in sight and she could sense the upcoming traffic. She was prepared to arrive at work an hour later and hear the words 'you' and 'fired' in a sentence, it would be a nightmare.

One more minute, Annon decided was the time she'd spare to wait for a miracle and if none came then she might as well head out into the tempest. She was positive of the storm brewing and a huge part of her regretted not bringing a single coat or umbrella to shield her, even slightly.

60 seconds.

40.

20.

10.

5.

"God damn it."

Breathing deeply, she braced her head and her feet which would eventually grown sore. Holding her bag up to the top of her head, thinking it'd help though everyone knew it was pointless considering that fact that she already was soaked. She ran quickly, her free hand clutched her arm for a moment, feeling a slight shiver.

"Hey miss," a voice slurred.

Annon's steps faltered and she nearly fell into a canal. Her body froze immediately but she forced her muscles to work and tentatively faced the source of the voice. A sigh of her relief escaped her lips, a smile threatened to tug its way but by no means was it friendly.

"Hisoka," she acknowledged.

"Heading to work, Annon?" he beamed at her in that lewd sort of way.

"You think?"

"I'll drive you," he offered.

Tears seemed to form in Annon's tear ducts because right then and there, an imaginary halo formed on the top of Hisoka's head in contrast to his devil-like appearance with his slick, black suit and fiery red hair. She surely would've hugged the man if only she wasn't afraid of ruining his expensive clothing.

"Thanks!"

She worshipped the Lord for letting her say something out of joy for the first time in this day, willing to serve Hisoka for a week, even a month. She knew he wouldn't do that though, it was an unwritten agreement that they had this awkward best friend relationship. They served each other, basically.

Hisoka latched himself onto her wrist and dragged her to his car, smirking creepily. It made Annon wonder whether she had been right in not calling the mental hospital the first time they met.

"Ne, Annon, you don't have to worry about getting fired, by the way. I told the boss that we were doing important business," he informed slyly.

"Okay?" Annon said unsurely, wondering if the boss interpreted the so-called 'business' properly.

The drive didn't take very long, approximately five minutes. She raced out the car as Hisoka threw to her a change of clothes. Oh, how she loves that man, in a platonic way, most definitely. She threw her diagonal-pleated dress into the plastic bag and hastily wore a white, crepe sheath dress. She slipped on a pair of dark green, closed-toe pumps. She took one last check in the mirror to see if her braid was properly done and once she was satisfied, she stepped out.

Surprisingly, the elevator wasn't full and no one was in line. Nothing could contain her nerves as she slowly neared her designated floor. The elevator music was an annoyance and the air conditioning made her run a cold sweat. At long last, the doors opened, relishing in the horror Annon felt as the view of the door came into view.

One step, two steps, three, and it continued on until twenty. Her toes wiggled in her shoes and it took her a relative amount of time to compose herself. She knocked on the door at least twice and heard a muffled voice. Assuming it was an indication to enter, she turned the knob and was met by a much younger man, contrary to the Zeno Zoldyck who was quite old, though he refused to admit it.

Eyeing her up and down, he scowled a little, ushering her to a seat.

"Ms. Rule, you appear to be 30 minutes late for work, am I correct?" his voice was velvety and pleasing to the ears but the sharpness of his eyes increased his intimidating aura.

"Yes, sir."

"Hm, I'm surprised your lipstick isn't smeared," he remarked mockingly.

To say that Annon was confused is an understatement. She was in fact, befuddled, a growing mass of confusion and vertigo.

"Excuse me?" she managed to croak out.

"Hisoka told me the two of you had important business. Knowing the man, he hardly ever considers anything important besides fighting and the occasional playing around," the man drawled.

"Well sir, Hisoka is a friend and we'd never play around as you seem to put it. Anyhow, I'd like to know what happened to Mr. Zeno Zoldyck," she said, disliking the man due to his dirty assumption.

"Sorry to burst your bubble Ms. Rule but I've replaced my grandfather's position here at Zoldyck Enterprises."

Annon's mouth was left agape as she turned to the golden plaque on his desk, the name 'Illumi Zoldyck' was engraved in fine print, just above the words 'CEO of Zoldyck Enterprises'.

"For Pete's sake," she murmured to herself.

"Now, you can start by sorting all these papers and fixing my schedule for the rest of the month. Good day and I'll see you in a few hours," he instructed nonchalantly, placing the gigantic stack of papers on his desk and piling it on Annon's frail arms.

Grumbling a bit, she balanced the papers on one arm while she tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. She turned her back to him, shifting from the clueless and naive girl to her work mode She failed to notice Illumi's calculating eyes lingering on her a milisecond too long. He wasn't sure whether it was from resentment or interest.