Chapter One

Tick, Tock

Tick, Tock

The monotonous drone of the wall clock acted as the only soundtrack as Lina leaned over her desk, her emerald green eyes strolling across the screen, as she read, large slim fingers poised above the keyboard ready to start writing.

Frost clung to the windows outside, softballs of snow danced down from the heavens above, adding to the snow that New York had been caked in for a whole week.

Four years ago that night, Leon had been found dead.

Lina still shivered at the thought; she tried to push it away.

Her brother must have found the thing he was looking for somewhere.

Knock, knock.

"Come in."

The door opened tentatively, the small blonde secretary slowly emerging through the door, her anxious blue eyes carefully regarding her employer. Some people claimed Lina Leonard was still grieving her ex, his own arrogance had gotten himself killed when he tried to double-cross a violent criminal while being happy to do their bidding, maybe it wasn't such a surprise when they turned on him.

He'd been too arrogant to get the story he was craving that would make his name, and he had gotten complacent.

It had been Jimmy in a nutshell.

Eve knew, however, it wasn't about the ex. Eve as secretary, was privy to more information than Lina was aware of, mainly because it had been hard to ignore the secretive phone calls and random visits.

Eve shifted nervously on her toes, not daring to lift her gaze from the spot, she had found comfort on the ground.

Lina finally blew out a frustrated breath. "What is it, Eve?" She sighed coldly.

"I don't want to bother you, but it's Christmas Eve, Ms. Leonard, and your plan for me to work tomorrow; I feel it's...."

Ferocious green eyes rose upward. "You feel it's what exactly?" Her tone was so ice-cold and callous that icicles hung from them.

Eve ignored the woman's fierce look. "Well, it's Christmas tomorrow, and I have a family. My brother is sick, and I wanted to be there for him to help my mother." Eve felt the sting of tears attack her eyes; she tried to ignore them.

Lina's stern glare never softened; she'd learned by now not to let her heart overrule her head, to steel herself against the tears of others she had grown tired of being a doormat, that Lina Leonard was long dead.

"Do you think you are different from everyone else? You think you are granted special requests because you have a sad story to tell me, and you cry."

"I'm not crying. "Eve replied, her heart beating hard, her bottom lip trembling. "I just.."

"Just want to be lazy. You will work like everyone else!

"Lina shouted sternly, standing from her chair and turning to face the white snow encased city below. "Why does everyone love this God-forsaken holiday anyway?"

"It's Christmas, Ms. Leonard, a time for family and friends to appreciate the love we have around us. "

Lina spun around. "Isn't that what Thanksgiving is supposedly for?"

"No, well, yes," Eve said flustered.

"It's a day like every other, and you will work just like any other day, I'm tired of people catching a ride on me, building themselves up from my hard work!"

"You are still working tomorrow, be here by half-past seven promptly, we have a lot to get done. " Lina dismissed, waving her hand proudly in the air signaling, she was done returning to her work, ignoring that the woman still stood there her blue eyes wide with unshed tears, her heart was breaking.

"You may leave now."

"Yes, Ms. Leonard. "Eve sniffed.

"OMG, can you believe it's Christmas Eve today?" A sudden excited voice shrieked out from the doorway; Kiera stood there a grin splitting her face in two, pearly white teeth as pale as the snow outside shone through, smiling at her grouchy friend.

Eve gave the woman a gentle smile.

"Hello, Kiera," Lina answered grumpily. "What do I owe the pleasure of your visit?"

Kiera bounded inside the office a happy elf-like joy to her step; Lina felt sure she hid candy canes in her pockets. "Christmas dinner. Alexa and I are inviting you, John will be there, of course, Brian, Eliza, all the family, you will come too, won't you?"

Lina stiffened at the name. Alexa.

Eve lifted her attention to the conversation, hope burrowing away inside her. Could Kiera convince Lina to go easy and give them the day off work tomorrow?

"I have to work." Lina dismissed coolly.

"Work. " Kiera said with a grimace. "Who works on Christmas Day?"

Eve silently rejoiced. Yes!

"We are," Lina growled, annoyed by the triumph on Eve's face. Did she really think Kiera being here would get her the day off after all? She was mistaken. "We are busy. "

"Even the Queen of England takes Christmas off Lina, and you can't make everyone work, that's just unfair, I'd hate not being able to spend Christmas with Alexa." Kiera threw her arms out animatedly. Lina felt her blood boil, angry at being ambushed and upset to hear the other woman's name mentioned; she didn't want to listen to it, didn't want to remember anything about her. Maybe staying friends with her sister had been a bad idea; she should have distanced herself more than she had already found herself doing. "Wrong, the Queen works. She does that speech thing."

"Wrong." Kiera laughed, mimicking her friend.

"That is pre-recorded."

"Whatever." Lina groaned.

"Come on, Lina, it's Christmas, a time for goodwill and joy to all men." Kiera sang happily.

Lina rolled her eyes, barely holding in her words she longed to say, Bah Humbug! Could she tell that at all, or was it too 1800s? It didn't matter. "Fine, you have your wish Eve, you can thank Kiera here for it, you have your free Christmas, but I want you to work later the next day to make up for your laxity."

Eve didn't have time to take in the full ramifications. she was too happy to have the day off for Christmas, dancing, and jumping on her feet. "Thank you so much, Ms. Leonard." She beamed before running out of the office at lightning speed before her boss could change her mind.

"So now that you are free, you can come to have Christmas Dinner with us." Kiera smiled brightly. "Alexa has been asking about you, you know?"

"I find that hard to believe." Lina scoffed, turning her attention away from her friend, her green eyes unfocused on the papers in front of her, down on her desk, and her hands shifted around busily, hoping that Kiera would get the hint that she was busy, and she would leave.

"She did."

"It makes no difference, I cannot come as I have said I am busy, I have work to do." Lina dismissed.

"On Christmas Day?" Kiera asked again, stunned.

"Yes, Kiera, will you be repeating that again?" Lina asked coldly.

"But... it's Christmas."

Lina rolled her green eyes. "Oh, like the Christmas, I had to watch the police knock on our door and arrest my only sibling? The day I watched him get carried away, kicking and screaming, yes, Christmas isn't so much fun for me, Kiera."

"I know that you don't have the best memories of this holiday, Lina, but I am your friend, and I'd like to think your best friend, I cannot let you be alone tomorrow; you're more than that you are family to me." Kiera tried to soften her rigid friend.

"I'm done, Kiera, Christmas is a dull, vain, empty, superficial holiday based on bullshit to make those who have little sorrowful and shamed while those with a lot can bask in their greed and opulence. As companies exploit the social confines to become richer, I want no part of it, end of the story, now goodbye." Lina dismissed harshly, ignoring the startled look on Kiera's face.

"I just like lots of Turkey," Kiera whispered sadly.

"So, you won't be coming?" Kiera asked again, a sob catching in her throat at the thought of her friend being alone.

"Goodbye, Kiera," Lina said, not looking up, she didn't see the tears that shone in Kiera's blue eyes.