A young woman stood facing a massive window, gazing at the townspeople down below rushing through their lives. All around her were mountains of documents neatly arranged into piles half her size. On the walls were colourful and tasteful paintings representing men and women sporting curious and unusual attires.

The woman was beautiful and elegant. She wore slim dark pants that hugged the curves of her hips and a loose-fitted blouse that hid her ample bosom, while her long and silky light brown hair was held in place by a light blue ribbon, making her look younger than she was.

In her hand was a slab of exquisitely carved wood on which sheets of white paper rested, while her other hand held an intricate and beautifully decorated pen. She was amid work, sketching new and avant-garde attires while her gaze wandered down below, looking for inspiration.

She sighed once nothing came to mind; the pages remained empty. Despite all the sketches that littered the room, nothing seemed to satisfy her, not since she had lost her muse. She missed the days when the young and haggard miss would come to her to sell her wares.

The first time she saw her, it was like a thunderbolt struck her mind; never had she been so inspired. She knew immediately that she would one day become a woman of sublime beauty despite her young age and malnourished body. She wanted nothing more than to design clothes that could complement or even augment her natural charm, but nothing seemed to satisfy her to this day. Nothing she could envision was worthy of her.

Despite excelling as a branch manager, her true passion was fashion design, but she found herself lacking, so she chose the next best thing. This textile company allowed her to immerse herself in the world she loved while also doing something she was talented at, even if doing so would leave little time for her true passion.

She was a busy woman in charge of a substantial company, but she still found moments of peace and quiet when she could be alone with her thoughts and sketches. However, a year ago, such moments left a bitter taste in her mouth as she had lost her muse. Since then, she had immersed herself in her work, hoping to forget her, to no avail.

Consequently, her small branch had grown leaps and bounds above the rest, becoming the de facto leader in their field in their small region. Yet, all the praise she received and all the money she made couldn't fill the void left by her absence.

She often wished to rush to her side, wishing to know what had happened to her, but she reigned it in. Although she held a particular influence in town, it was still a far cry from the clan the girl belonged to. Almost nothing could bridge the gap between commoners and nobility.

While absorbed in her thoughts, she heard a gentle knock on the wooden door of her office.

“Enter,” she said without bothering to turn around. The only one who would dare interrupt her during the rare moments she took for herself was her assistant. Although she knew that she wouldn't bother her unless necessary, she didn't want to deal with anything at this moment.

The door swung silently on its hinges as her assistant entered the room. Sofia stood rooted in the doorway, looking at the back of the woman standing near the window. All the resolve she had painstakingly sought threatened to crumble at any moment. This was one of the few people Sofia had met who treated her well; she would be devastated if that woman were to be disappointed in her. She took a deep breath, steadied herself, and entered the room.

“Director,” the assistant said while bowing slightly. “Someone wishes to see you. I took the liberty of bringing her here.”

The young woman frowned. This was unlike her assistant’s usual way of doing things. She would never bring someone here without her express permission, especially during her time alone. Her brows knitted together even more, wondering who it might be. The other party must be someone of great importance for her assistant to act this way.

The woman's expression soon regained the usual cold indifference she displayed while working, expunging her frustration at being interrupted during the rare time she had for herself.

She turned around, curious about who it might be. She would have no qualms dismissing the other party were they to waste her time, even if they possessed a particular influence. She wasn't one to be bullied into subservience.

However, her cold and aloof expression wasn't long-lived, as her emotions overwhelmed her when she saw the young lady standing timidly in the doorway. A multitude of emotions flashed on her beautiful face, ranging from surprise to puzzlement and ending with joy.

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

Despite the young lady looking like no one she had ever seen before, the Director recognized her immediately. More than once, she had fantasized about what Sofia might look like once she grew up. The result wasn't much different than she had imagined, except that she was even more beautiful than she thought possible.

A little more than a year had passed since she had last seen Sofia, yet Sofia's facial features had lost most of their childishness while retaining a youthful maturity, making her look older than she was. Her long, curled emerald hair rested softly on her shoulders, shining under the sun's light that permeated the open window.

Her deep violet eyes captivated all lucky enough to gaze into them like prisoners of her overwhelming charm. The Director felt deeply attracted to the young lady standing before her, even as a woman. She knew she would grow up to be a beauty, yet the difference from her previous form left her stunned.

Both looked at each other, and words failed them both. An uneasy silence permeated the room as they considered breaking the ice on this unexpected reunion. The Director's assistant stood at the side with a helpless smile. At first, she wished to give them time to work through this situation, but once she saw the overwhelming gap between them, she had no choice but to provide them with a little push.

“Elie! Sofia finally came back to us,” she said. “Aren’t you going to say something?”

“Amy,” Elizabeth muttered while frowning. Her assistant was the only one with the nerve to call her by that nickname. She looked at her but only saw her shrug dismissively while a grin marred her lovely face, contrasting with her usual stern temperament. She sighed, knowing that she would only let herself go in the presence of those she trusted; she felt flattered instead that Amy would think of her as a friend.

Elizabeth's gaze returned to Sofia shortly after, only to see her fidget, nervously holding the corner of her dress. Her gaze was lowered as if awaiting the inevitable sermon she knew was coming. Elizabeth's usual cold expression softened considerably, knowing she was still a child at heart despite Sofia's new mature appearance. Despite knowing that she would inevitably grow up and become an adult someday, Sofia would always remain the little girl she met all those years ago who timidly hid behind her brother, refusing to come out.

Despite Amy's encouragement, Elizabeth didn't speak up. Instead, she took the time to admire what her muse had become. Her will to draw, which had dried up in the last year, was now in full swing. She wished nothing more than to stop time and put ink to paper. All manners of new and intriguing ideas sprung up in her mind. She knew she would make a killing from them in the coming years, yet she stored them away in a corner of her mind; Sofia was more important at the moment.

Without a word, she approached the nervous young woman; only the sound of her high-heeled shoes echoed in the room. Sofia and her assistant held their breaths, unsure of Elizabeth’s reaction to her reappearance.

Sofia's gaze was stuck on the floor, unwilling to look at her as fear gripped her heart. Yet she felt surprised and then a sense of peace once she felt the soft and warm embrace of the one she recognized as her sister. She stood rooted in place, basking in the moment. A sense of joy moistened her dried-up heart.

Sofia lifted her arms and embraced the slender body pressed up against her own while resting her small head on Elizabeth’s soft bosom. Feeling left out, Amy chose to join in the fun, embracing the both of them, squeezing them even closer.

“Welcome back," Elizabeth said in a soft and gentle tone. She asked no questions, uttered no reproach, and only told her that she was glad to see her again. That was all that mattered.

Once Sofia heard those simple words, it was as if the floodgates opened. All the emotions she had repressed to the depths of her heart in the last year rose to the surface akin to bubbles within a boiling sea. Her mind churned as the tides of her heart threatened to overwhelm her. Her body trembled within the warm embrace while water pearled at the corner of her eyes before falling, leaving its damp imprint upon Elizabeth's pale blouse.

All semblance of maturity crumbled, leaving only a lost child nestled upon a motherly bosom. Minutes passed while the two older ladies comforted Sofia but were still unable to stop the deluge. She had tried so hard to be strong and live alone that the simple fact that someone still cared about her seemed like salvation.

It took Sofia a long time to come back to her senses. Upon leaving Elizabeth’s arms, Sofia turned her head away, unable to meet their gazes as an overwhelming red hue succeeded her pale complexion. She felt a mild fever assault her mind as her embarrassment rose, tinting her cheeks in a rosy tone, giving her already beautiful face a cute and endearing look. The two ladies couldn’t help but smile at the sight, letting a small laugh escape their mouths.

Sofia stomped on the ground in a small fit of anger at being ridiculed, but her anger soon turned to joy once her mind adapted to this reunion. The trio sat comfortably around a small round table, slowly sipping tea and discussing mostly irrelevant things.

Although Elizabeth wished to know what caused Sofia to disappear so suddenly, she couldn't find the words to broach the subject. She knew in her heart that it was somehow related to her family, but she couldn't do anything about it despite their closeness. She was powerless in the matter.

Sofia seemed to realize it, so she avoided the topic altogether, not wishing to sour their mood. They talked for hours, but Sofia still had one unresolved issue she wanted to inquire about: her brother.

“Have you heard from him?” she asked.

Elizabeth seemed stunned for a moment, but it was fleeting. Her usual cold attitude soon masked it.

"He didn't tell you? There's been movement to the west. The clan dispatched some of its younger generations to investigate more than a year ago—about when we lost contact. I haven’t heard anything else since, but I reckon he should be fine considering his status.”

Sofia frowned, ruminating upon what that would imply. She knew her brother couldn't disobey the family, but she still wished he would have told her. However, she reckoned that her chances of being intentionally kept in the dark were high. The family probably forced him to leave quite suddenly, which didn't allow him much time to visit her. Yet, somehow, that thought didn't relieve much of the sadness she had felt at the time.

Time passed quickly while the trio reminisced. The sun hovered just above the horizon when Sofia finally rose to leave. She left her bag full of furs to Amy before apologizing once again for monopolizing their time. Sofia knew they were busy women, yet they took time out of their schedule to accompany her. Even such a small gesture mattered a lot to her.

Sofia promised to come back soon while the two stood in the doorway, waving her goodbye. Sofia skipped a step, knowing that most of her worries were resolved. Her radiant smile drew the curious gaze of the passersby as she made her way back to her cottage in the forest.

Not far away, hidden in a side alley opposite Elizabeth's store, a man stood within the shadows, observing Sofia making her way home. His piercing gaze probed every inch of her body before a sinister grin appeared briefly on his face. The man emerged from his hiding place, following Sofia from a distance while muttering, “After all this time, I finally found you. You won’t escape this time.”