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Chapter 4 - Hunger Pains

The next morning, everything looked the same. The fluorescent lights above were enough to make my head dizzy, and my computer screen was strong enough to make my eyes strain. The smell of fresh coffee wafted in the air, mingling and mixing with the scent of a dozen different perfumes and colognes. I was all too aware of everything: every smell, every sound, every person. I could hear Martin Shaw in cubicle seven as he tapped his foot rhythmically against the carpet, keeping in beat to a song stuck in his head. I could smell the lifesaver Lara Lang popped into her mouth, and the crisp snap as she bit it in half.

From the keyboard clicks to the hiss of the printer to the rustling paper, I felt far too aware of it all. Maybe it was a hangover. Or the fact that I'd nearly killed my boss last night.

The words on my spreadsheet swam in and out of focus. The hunger had teeth now.

I kept replaying the night in my head: the kiss, the feel of his skin against mine, the way my entire body knew exactly what it was doing. The way it hurt not to finish it. Every so often, I'd catch the faintest trace of his cologne on my fingers, and my heartbeat would spike all over again.

"Hey, Kassie?"

I jumped, my chair squeaking under me. Tina leaned over the divider between our cubicles, holding a stack of invoices.

"You okay? You look like you saw a ghost."

I blinked at her, trying to smooth my expression. "Yeah, fine. Just… rough night."

She tilted her head. "Funny you say that. You know, I used to work with another girl named Kassie. Sat right where you are."

I forced a laugh. "Small world."

"Yeah." Tina seemed to be chewing something. "Weird, right? She just vanished one day. No warning, no goodbye email. HR said they haven't seen her, and her stuff is here. It's like she evaporated."

My stomach sank. "Or maybe I just took over her life."

Tina frowned at that, so I cleared my throat and added, "Well, I'm sure she's fine wherever she is."

Tina nodded. "Yeah. Poor thing. I always thought she was sweet, just… unlucky, maybe. She had her heart broken one too many times." Her tone softened. "You know Warren. She had a thing for him. I don't think he ever saw her the same way."

"Oh."

Tina shrugged. "Anyway. Weird coincidence, huh?" She smiled and pointed at me. "Oh! Love your mohawk, by the way."

I blinked. "My what?"

She grinned. "Your hair! The shaved sides - it's bold, girl. Suits you."

I reached up, fingers brushing against the soft curls of long ash-blonde hair falling over my shoulders. So, Tina saw me with a mohawk. That must have been what she considered attractive. What a strange power this was, looking completely different to everyone. Well, it adds up since beauty is subjective.

"Thanks."

Tina nodded, then shifted her attention back to her screen.

I sat back, staring at my reflection in the screen of my monitor.

The Kassie they knew had disappeared, and I hadn't even gotten as much as a call on my cell number. No HR email to check in. No welfare checks from the police. I don't know what I was expecting, but radio silence felt a bit cruel.

They better keep those paychecks coming. I probably should figure that out.

I stared at my reflection a second longer. If everyone saw me as their ideal of beauty, then this must be what I think is beautiful. I touched a hand to my jaw, feeling soft, dewy skin underneath. Were my views so Eurocentric? So skewed by the Barbie dolls I played with growing up? I felt a little guilty, a little generic even.

What the heck did I know about real beauty, anyway?

~

The lobby coffee shop was nearly empty. Just the quiet hiss of the espresso machine and a few tired interns tapping on their phones. The smell of roasted beans felt extra intense as it wafted up to me: sweet, bitter, intoxicating. Everything smelled stronger now. Even the guy behind the counter.

He was tall, with tattooed arms and a too-bright smile. "Morning," he said, leaning on the counter. "What'll it be, gorgeous?"

Was I ever going to get used to this treatment? "Just a latte, thank you," I said, handing over a crumpled bill.

It took a moment for the order to compute, or he was just buying time looking at me. Either way, a moment later, he held up a cup and a pen. "Name?"

"Kassie."

"That's a pretty name. You got a boyfriend, Kassie?"

I forced a smile. "I'm not that lucky."

He laughed, and that was when it hit me, an involuntary pulse across my vision, like static. My HUD blinked to life, overlaying the world in faint red text.

 

[Passive Skill Activated: Insight (rank 1)]

SCANNING…

 

For a second, everything froze. And then, his thoughts. Not words, exactly. More like flashes.

He was thinking of my lips. The angle of my throat. A flicker of his tongue running down it. A door closing. And then… chains?! I nearly dropped my wallet.

"Oh," I said faintly. "You're, wow - You're creative."

He blinked. "Sorry?"

"Nothing." I hurried away to the other end of the aisle, avoiding eye contact as I waited for my coffee. The moment he put it on the counter, I grabbed it and rushed to the tables. I sat down, heart pounding, cheeks burning. I took a sip just to steady myself, but even the coffee hit different: richer, darker, almost metallic. And then the pang, so painful I felt tears well up in my eyes.

 

[Hunger: 37% (declining)]

 

I was halfway through my cup when a shadow fell across my table. A woman stood there, late twenties maybe, sleek black hair and a trench coat that looked almost suspicious. I had seen her around the office once or twice before, but I couldn't remember her name, let alone what she did at the company.

"Mind if I sit?" she asked.

I frowned but gestured at the chair. "Knock yourself out."

It was hard to be impolite, although I was getting a bit tired from the constant attention. She sat across from me and folded her hands neatly. "You're Kassie, right?"

I just nodded, hoping that if I acted disinterested enough, this could be brief.

"Tiana," she said. "I work upstairs. Warren's secretary."

I stiffened. "Oh."

She nodded, as if confirming something. "I know this is going to come across as odd, especially since we've never met. I really shouldn't say anything but… I just don't want you to be another Sofia."

I blinked. "Excuse me?"

Her gaze was steady. "You were with him last night. I know because I filed the overtime report this morning."

"You check those?"

"I process them." Her lips twitched, almost amused. "And I notice patterns. This isn't the first time he's done this, and he'll probably do it again." She trailed off. "Just… be careful, okay? He's not who you think he is."

I stared at her, trying to gauge her angle. "Why tell me this?"

"Because someone should have told Sofia," she said softly. "Before the incident."

The name hung in the air like a ghost. Before I could ask what she meant, a voice behind me cut through the quiet.

"There you are."

Warren's voice.

Tiana straightened immediately, color draining from her face. "Oh, Mr. Chen. I was just…"

"Going over the overtime reports," I said quickly, forcing a smile. "She had a question."

"Ah." Warren's eyes flicked between us, the corners of his mouth curving slightly. "Diligent as always."

Tiana nodded too quickly. "Of course, sir. Thanks, Kassie. I'll just email you if I have any other questions." She grabbed her coffee, nearly spilling it, and hurried away.

Warren watched her go, then turned back to me. "She's always so high-strung."

"Some people care about their jobs," I said lightly.

He laughed. "And some people make me forget mine."

I felt that familiar heat stir in my chest again. The hunger purred, stretching like a cat. I took a quick sip of my coffee, hoping it would ground me.

He didn't ask if he could sit; he knew better. He just took the chair Tiana was in a second ago, settling in her stead. It was becoming apparent Warren wasn't the kind of guy who asked for permission.

"Please have a seat," I said, even though he already had. It felt like a way to take control of the situation, to involve my own agency.

"I've been thinking about you," he cut to the chase. "Couldn't stop, actually."

The UI flickered again; it was on a roll today.

 

[Passive Skill Activated: Insight (rank 1)]

SCANNING…

 

And then I heard it, like an all-too-staticky radio pouring into my head.

I can't believe she left last night.

He was smiling as he said, "You disappeared so fast I thought maybe I scared you."

"Maybe you did," I said quietly.

He chuckled. "You didn't seem scared at the time."

I stared at him, forcing my expression to stay neutral. My Insight was still open, feeding me small flashes: his hands in my hair, his breath against my ear. But he was moving past that. In his mind, we were back in that night, in his office. I was naked as he turned me around, pressing himself against me before bending me over his desk with such ferocity. He pictured himself raking his hand down my back, gripping my ass hard enough to leave a bruise.

Just like that, the line between fantasy and reality blurred as I felt my own body react to his thoughts.

"Everything okay?" he asked, bringing me out of his head. How the hell was he acting normal when his mind was filming a porno?!

I blinked rapidly, blocking the thoughts out, turning the Insight off. "I'm fine," I said. "Just didn't sleep much."

He leaned forward slightly, that same intoxicating confidence rolling off him in waves. "You really should rest more. I don't want you burning out on me."

The things I'd do if you were on me.

His thoughts echoed in my head, twisting into something darker.

He smiled. "How about dinner tonight? My treat. No work talk. Just us."

I hesitated. Every rational part of me screamed no. Every other part, the part with claws and fangs and burning hunger, whispered yes.

"I'll think about it," I said.

"Do," he murmured, standing. His hand brushed my shoulder, lingered just long enough to make my pulse stutter again. "I'll text you."

And then he was gone, leaving me bewildered. I sipped at my coffee, enjoying the painful pangs in this moment. They were a good distraction from the other feelings I was struggling with.

When I finally stood, the world felt heavy again.

 

[Hunger: 30% (declining)]

WARNING: CRITICAL LEVELS DETECTED…

 

I took a deep breath, clutching my coffee cup until the cardboard creased.

When I got back to my desk, the glow of my monitor felt like a spotlight. Everyone else was packing up for the night, but I couldn't leave. Not yet.

Tiana's warning looped in my mind, tangled with the echo of Warren's thoughts.

I couldn't help but wonder, who was Sofia?

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