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ADELAINE DIDN'T SLEEP MUCH THAT NIGHT. She tossed and turned in her sleep, the robber's face appearing even in her dreams. Adelaine heard a gun shot and she felt the pain of the bullet in her stomach, blood seeping through her beige uniform. She woke up with a gasp and after that, her eyes were wide awake until the sun rose and sunlight seeped through her window. Adelaine forced herself to get out of bed, dried mascara staining her cheeks as she stared at her reflection in the mirror. Due to her lack of sleep, dark half-moons appeared under her eyes, making her look like a zombie. Her lips were also chapped, and the ugly cut still looked fresh, dried blood smeared across the edges of her mouth. There was a big bruise with red and violet splotches on her cheek, which she tried to hide with a cheap one dollar concealer, but the makeup item didn't do much. Sighing, she didn't bother to do anything with it anymore and tried to hide it with her hair.
She arrived at the Langdon residence fifteen minutes earlier, Constance greeting her from the front porch. The woman was ready to leave, already dressed and holding her purse, smoke coming out of her mouth.
"Good morning, Ms. Langdon," She greeted her with a tight-lipped smile. Constance smiled back at her.
"I'll be going home late today, so don't wait up!" The woman told her, while walking out of the house and into a rented taxi, "The envelope is on top of the fridge again! See you on Saturday!"
Adelaine waved as she watched Constance's taxi disappear into the street. The woman didn't even bat an eyelash at her bruises, but she was glad for that. The last thing she needed was a motherly figure fussing over what happened to her last night.
Constance's house provided her comfort as soon as she entered it, the warmth of the inside calming her down immediately. She decided to wear a shirt today, the material of her sweaters too hot for the temperature of the place. Adelaine didn't expect to see Michael sitting on the couch, seemingly waiting for her. His icy blue eyes lit up immediately when it landed on her, and a wide grin stretched on his lips. He was dressed more decently this time, his boxers replaced with a cotton pajama pants. His hair looked comb, like he put extra effort on it compared to yesterday. Adelaine preferred the messy, unkempt curls, but she didn't mind his new look. He honestly looked like a kid with a crush, trying hard to impress someone that's older than him. The thought made Adelaine smile wildly, the thoughts of last night retreating into the back of her mind.
"Good morning, Michael," She said sincerely, playing with her fingers. Michael's unique scent of pine trees and sunshine invaded her nostrils, her body warming up as she inhaled it greedily. He stood up from the couch, about to approach her when he stopped in his tracks, his eyes darkening slightly as he saw something on her face. "What is it?
