Mila stared at the phone screen in the black garden.
The words from Vivian glowed bright.
"Tick tock. Dawn is coming."
She hit redial again.
It rang six times.
Voicemail clicked on.
"Grandma, please," Mila whispered but no one answered.
Her legs moved fast toward the house door.
The knob felt cold.
She turned it slowly.
The door opened with a tiny creak.
The hallway was completely dark.
"Oh no… what do I do now?"
Mila touched the wall.
She moved carefully, step by step.
Grandma needed money by nine.
"Adrian…" She whispered.
Her voice was shaking.
Her allowance should have hit today.
She headed straight for the office wing.
The office door stood locked.
"No…no….not now, please."
Mila knelt fast.
Her fingers found the spare key under the mat.
She stood up.
Key slid in.
The lock clicked open.
A small desk lamp burned low inside.
Papers covered the table.
Mila shut the door behind her.
"Where is the file?"
She went to the tall filing cabinet.
Pulled the drawer marked "Staff Payments."
Her folder sat right on top.
Mila opened it quickly.
Her name stared back.
"Allowance Delayed. Review needed."
"Oh…. No, Vivian, don't touch Nana please."
She said while in a hurry.
Red ink crossed the date.
Initials V.C. at the bottom.
Mila's stomach twisted.
She turned the page.
A sticky note stuck there.
"Delayed Mila Hart. She asks too many questions. Misfile under Dispute."
Handwriting matched Vivian's sharp letters.
Mila pulled out her phone.
She snapped photo after photo.
Click. Click.
Each one saved in her secret folder.
She kept flipping.
Other staff payments showed green ticks.
Only hers sat blocked.
"Vivian did this on purpose and I know it." She said.
Footsteps sounded in the hall.
Mila froze.
She dropped low behind the desk.
The door opened slowly.
Adrian stepped in.
He was looking like he just got up from the bed, still wearing his night cloth.
He went to a corner and dialed the number very fast.
The door closed.
Adrian brought out a big bundle of money and counted hundred-dollar bills.
"One, two, three… five thousand."
He slid them into a plain white envelope.
Wrote "Mila, Allowance Advance" on the front and dropped it in the middle of the desk.
"I can't let her leave without this money," he said to himself.
"Vivian plays too rough, I must protect Mila."
He turned the lamp lower.
Walked out.
Door clicked shut.
Mila counted to twenty.
She rose slowly.
Her hand grabbed the envelope.
It felt heavy.
She opened the flap.
Neat bills sat inside.
Enough for the hospital.
Extra for safety.
Mila slipped it deep in her pocket.
"Thank you Adrian."
She went back to the cabinet.
Pulled Vivian's private note folder.
More pages on her.
"Put Mila's file in the wrong section. Delay until she stops digging."
Signed Vivian.
On 25th of March 2022.
Mila photographed every sheet.
Her hands moved steadily now.
She closed the drawer the same way it was.
Adrian's kindness sat warm in her pocket.
But questions burned.
She sat on the desk chair.
The door handle turned again.
Mila jumped up.
Adrian stepped back in.
He stopped dead.
"Mila? You're still here?"
His voice stayed low.
Mila held up the envelope.
"You left this for me."
Adrian closed the door and locked it.
He walked over.
Sat on the edge of the desk.
"I checked the system before bed. Saw the block."
Mila put the envelope down.
"Why pay for it yourself? You could have left it."
Adrian shrugged.
"Family causes enough pain already."
He looked at his hands.
"I heard pieces of their talk tonight."
Mila leaned closer.
"About my dad?"
Adrian nodded once.
"Some. Enough to know they're scared of you."
He got up, collected the jug, and poured water in the glass.
"Drink. Your hands are shaking."
Mila took small sips.
The water felt cool.
"Thank you," she said.
Adrian sat again.
"Vivian misfiles on purpose," he told her.
"When she wants control."
"I fixed three others last month."
Mila showed him one photo on her phone.
"See? She wrote it herself."
Adrian looked.
His mouth tightened.
"Classic Vivian."
He gave the phone back.
They sat quiet for a minute.
It was 3am already.
Mila spoke first.
"Hey, you didn't have to help me."
"I understand the feeling of needing someone around you and getting disappointed." Adrian didn't raise his head up.
He touched his neck.
"I grew up in this house mostly alone."
"Parents gone for weeks."
Mila listened close.
Adrian continued.
"Victor sent me to boarding school at ten."
"No calls home. Just report cards."
"During the holidays I came back to empty rooms."
"Sat at the big table with one plate."
Mila's eyes softened.
"That sounds lonely."
Adrian gave a small laugh.
"Lonely? I talked to the cook sometimes."
"She felt sorry and gave me more food. But regardless, no one ever asked me about my day."
He stood up and went to look at the dark garden outside, through the window.
"Victor said feelings make you weak."
"No hugs. Only lessons on money and power."
Mila put her glass down.
"My dad hugged me every night."
"Even after long drives. He will always say, 'Kid, tell me something good that happened today'."
Adrian turned back.
"You were lucky."
His voice was so low.
"I always see other parents come to school to pick their children."
"I waited alone for the driver."
"Different drivers every year."
"Never the same face. How awkward"
Mila stood up too.
She touched his arm softly.
"You're kind anyway. Even after all that."
Adrian looked at her hand.
Then away.
"Kindness is the one thing Victor couldn't take."
They talked longer.
About small things.
Favorite foods. Worst days.
Adrian poured more water.
Mila laughed once at his story about burning toast at twelve.
The room felt less cold.
At four o'clock he yawned.
"We should sleep soon."
Mila nodded.
But she pointed at the drawer.
"You said you knew Vivian well."
Adrian opened the bottom drawer slowly.
He pulled out an old photo.
Handed it over.
"See for yourself."
Mila took it.
Young Adrian, maybe twenty-two.
Vivian was standing next to him. Her hands were in his waist, while she kissed his cheek.
Both smiled big.
Mila's eyes went wide.
"You two…"
Adrian took the photo back.
"Exes. Long time ago."
"Before she became… this."
He kept it inside the drawer.
"Vrmmm… vrmmm.." Mila's phone vibrated.
She brought it out slowly.
New message from an unknown number.
The screen showed a single line.
"Adrian still keeps my photo? Cute. Tell him I said hi, V."
Mila looked up at him.
Her mouth went dry.
Adrian's face turned pale.
The house stayed silent outside.
But the message glowed on.
Dawn was coming.