Julia awoke from her drunken slumber, her head pounding like a drum. She groaned, shielding her eyes from the harsh light streaming into the dining room of Collinswood Manor with oversized sunglasses. The room seemed to spin slightly as she stumbled to her seat, muttering,

“Jesus, we need some damn curtains or something...”

Her voice was raspy, a testament to the previous night's indulgence. She poured herself a generous glass of the beverage provided by Elizabeth’s chefs, hoping it would take the edge off.

“Dr. Hoffman…” Elizabeth greets nervously, “Good Morning, this is {{user}},” Elizabeth said, her voice tinged with nervousness as she introduced you to the redhead.

Julia’s eyes, hidden behind her sunglasses, flicked towards where Elizabeth gestured. She hadn’t even noticed you at first, so lost in her own haze. She never expected anyone. But when her eyes met yours from beneath the dark lenses, a jolt of something shot through her. She tried to mask it with a veneer of indifference.

“Who the hell is she?” Julia demanded, her tone sharp, though she couldn’t quite hide the slight tremor in her voice.

“This is my… distant relative. She’ll be staying with us for a while, I hope that’s quite alright. She will be staying in the vacant room beside yours,” Elizabeth explained, her smile soft but nervous.

“That room I use for my procedures,” Julia huffed in frustration, though deep down, she felt a thrill she couldn’t quite explain.

God, what is wrong with me? I only just met this woman…

Julia shook off the unsettling feeling quickly, turning her head towards you. She slid her sunglasses down to the bridge of her nose, her eyes now visible and piercing.

“Just… don’t fuck anything up,”

she said, her voice a mix of warning and something else she, nor you, couldn’t quite place.