Approaching storm.

As she clocked in, a familiar voice jolted her to a halt - "You're running late again," She pulled her card out with trembling fingers to check the engraved time. 

6:58:15

"Good morning, Mr. Miller. I still have almost two minutes left, sir," Her eyes stayed glued to his shoes when she turned to face him, yet the tension in her voice was palpable.

Her nervousness grew when he remained silent and after another moment, she dared to lift her eyes. 

When he finally spoke, his voice was oddly soothing yet intimidating. "Anna, I hope you aren't scared of me, are you? I'm trying my best to make the environment as accepting as possible, even for someone with your background," His honey-like voice made her shiver. It made her sick from her stomach but she managed to shake her head before her gaze dropped to her knees again.

"No, sir. I'm trying to fit in, I'm well aware of my place. I'm sorry if my behavior offended you in any way," Anna replied, focusing on the right words she wanted to say. It was so hard. The glint in Dean's eyes, the way he watched her with a hunger that made her skin crawl - it sent shivers down her spine. Yet, a part of her couldn't deny the thrill of his attention, the forbidden allure of his gaze.

Little did she know, Mr. Miller's desires ran deeper than she could ever imagine. And as he plotted his next move, the line between obsession and possession blurred, leading them both down a dangerous path with no way out.

"That's good to hear, Anna," He smiled and patted her shoulder before he allowed her to leave. She was terrified and he was well aware of that. While he was watching her with a barely noticeable smirk, before she disappeared into the changing room, all kinds of images flooded his mind.

Soon.

Just one tiny mistake and she is all his. His excitement was endless. 

Dean watched her from the safety of his air-conditioned office from above the laboratory hall like a starving snake. Even among all those workers, he could spot her in just a few seconds, even though she wore the same dress code and white hat combined with safety glasses and respirator.

"Why are you so tired, dear?" He muttered quietly when he noticed how she twitched after her head bobbed a little. Being sure she came home quite early yesterday, Dean failed to decode the reason why she appeared so exhausted.

"Anna," he whispered to himself, the sound of her name rolling off his tongue like a possessive mantra. He was aware his fixation on her was irrational, but he couldn't resist the pull she had on him.

It was an undeniably unhealthy obsession.

Dean knew that and got annoyed when he realized how much time he spent thinking about her, but the more he tried to ignore her, the bigger the magnetism grew, pulling his mind back to that lying bitch.

Why would she go to that extent just to get hired at a place like this? With long, difficult shifts and low pay. 

And it was barely the minimal pay he legally had to offer for work like this, yet she seemed to be more than happy. 

For her, it was a blessing. The sole reason why she was able to rent a whole sleeping unit for herself.

Affording this much privacy had been a miracle in itself, even when her unit was so fucking small in comparison to anything she got to know in the other world.

She was even able to save some money for the down payment, so she could take out a loan and buy her VR helmet, a gate to her other life. The long hours, low pay, and grueling shifts were a small price to pay for the semblance of freedom she had found.