The burnt scent of chocolate tickled the tip of her nose just seconds before a noise roared in her ear like a fire engine screaming through her bedroom. As Emily wiped the grit from last night's sleep from the corners of her eyes, the bright light that seeped from her bedroom window hit them. A curse immediately escaped her mouth.

Sluggishly she removed herself from her bed and headed for the bathroom.

As Emily stood under the shower, she couldn't help but frown when anger rose anew. As water cascaded from her midnight hair down to her torso, her mind drifted back to the conversation she had with Oliver.

***

"What do you mean?" She asked when Oliver mentioned the painting of Pier Brice.

A serious expression was on Oliver's face when he said to her, "Better come and seat with me in the kitchen. What I'm about to tell you is something important and you might want to brace yourself for it."

Emily curiously stared at him, searching his face for that familiar bubbly man that he already one him to be. But she found none. There are no mischievous means in his eyes. His pale lips that often smirked whenever he spoke was in a grim line. His expression alarmed Emily. "C'mon, Emily. Let's head for the kitchen and I will tell you a story. Whether you'd believe it or not doesn't matter but I believe that you should know about it."

"Is what you're about to tell me related to the portrait of Pier Brice," Emily questioned.

Oliver threw her a glance and answered, "Yes."

His short reply heightened the erratic beating of her heart.

She followed him through the grand manor, her eyes still wide with wonder at the opulence that surrounded her. The walls adorned with priceless works of art, and the floors made of gleaming marble still made her jaw drop despite having seen and walked through that place since she got to the manor.

As they trudged down a long hallway, the sound of their footsteps echoing off the walls, Emily felt a sense of trepidation building inside her, unsure of what Oliver wanted to tell her.

Finally, they reached the kitchen, and Oliver pushed open the door. As they entered, Emily's eyes were drawn to the five men seated around the kitchen table.

Emily hesitated to step inside, she stood in the kitchen doorway, her eyes fixed on the five men seated around the table. There was something about their expressions that made her uneasy, and she couldn't help but feel a sense of foreboding.

Oliver stepped into the room, but Emily remained rooted to the spot, her gaze fixed on the men. Why were they all staring at her like that, she wondered in confusion.

Emily felt a sudden surge of panic, and she turned to Oliver, her eyes wide with fear. "What's going on here?" she asked again.

Oliver looked at her, his expression unreadable. "It's alright Emily," he said. "There's something we need to tell you."

She kept herself in the doorway of the kitchen, her countenance serious as she surveyed the five men seated around the table. They were all serious then they started to grin mischievously, their eyes alight with amusement.

Well, that doesn't look good, Emily thought to herself as she studied the group. One of the men there she recognized as Lucas. Jasper introduced him as the head of the engineers when Emily first got to the mansion. The other four though, she hadn't seen before.

Oliver must have noticed her unease with the others in the room because soon he approached her, put an am on her shoulder, and started to introduce the others there with them.

"Well, Lucas, you've met him right?" Oliver started. Then he pointed at a man seated beside Lucas.

"That's Carlo, he is part of the construction team." Emily smiled at the man. He was a towering figure with broad shoulders and a muscular build. He had a rugged, weather-beaten face that spoke of years of hard labor, and his hands which were on resting on the kitchen table looked calloused. But despite his imposing appearance, it seemed to Emily that he had a gentle demeanor. Probably one of those that has a kind heart, she mused further.

Then Oliver pointed to the man seated across Carlo on the table. "That's Seymond, his 48 and married. The way Oliver put a strain on the word married suggested to Emily that the man might be a bit of a flirt. He is also part of the construction team." Oliver finished. Emily smiled and bobbed her head at the man. He was tall and lean with a serious expression and piercing blue eyes.

After, Oliver pointed to the man seated beside Seymond and said, that one right there is Arthur, also a construction worker. He's a very jovial and outgoing man. According to the women in town, he has a contagious laugh and a warm smile. So be careful. He might steal your heart."

Laughter, one that broke the unease nestled inside Emily rang around the room.

Then Oliver left Emily's side and walked over to the one seated at the far corner of the table. He placed a hand on the man's shoulder and said, "This is Bartolome, he is also part of the construction team and a local of the town." The man had a serious expression on his face but it was warm. Emily found him to have an aura like that of an old man with years of experience and knowledge of life. A man full of wisdom. He looked like the type who'd give you the best advice you'd ever receive in life.

After the introduction, Oliver sat on one of the empty chairs beside Lucas and then beckoned for Emily to come forward.

Emily agreed and took the seat beside Bartolome.

"Hey Bart, tell her what you told us." Oliver chipped, eying the man with a grin on his face.

Emily looked at Bartoleme as if gauging him to start talking.

Well, according to local lore, Pier Brice was known for his devastating good looks and irresistible charm. They said no woman who had ever laid eyes on him could resist his allure, and his portrait on the third floor captured that perfectly, and it drives those who stand before it crazy, so the story went.

Emily had always scoffed at such tales, especially when the word local lore was used. She sighed, then chided herself mentally for having placed too much weight on what Oliver said. True, since she had caught a glimpse of the portrait, she had found herself drawn to it in a way that she couldn't quite explain. But to drive herself crazy over it? Ludicrous, Emily mused.

"Perhaps that works on dumb teenagers," she answered coldly.

The man around her laughed. But then, suddenly, their tone changed. They grew serious, their eyes fixed on her.

"Be careful," Oliver said, his voice low and ominous. "If you're not careful, that portrait will steal your heart and soul away."

Emily rolled her eyes, but she couldn't deny the shiver that ran down her spine. There was something about the portrait that was undeniably alluring, and for a moment she couldn't help but wonder if there was some truth to the stories. But then she mentally slapped herself. Shaking her head, she stood and attempted to leave the table, "If this is the so-called story you wanted to tell me, Oliver, then thank you but...

Bartolome cut her off and said, According to legend, that portrait of his on the third floor carried a haunting curse. Anyone who found themselves in front of it was doomed.

But before Emily could respond, Carlo interjected. "That's not all they said. They also said that any woman who finds herself in front of the portrait on the third floor is doomed to fall in love with a ghost!"

Lucas, who had been silent the whole time, added, "The townspeople said that Pier Brice was worked to death by his family and that he was never given a chance to fall in love."

Seymond joined the conversation, "And they also said whoever owns the mansion has direct communication with the soul of Pier Brice. The owner always sends the woman the soul of Pier Brice sets its eyes on to the third floor so Pier can woo her. You're a gorgeous woman. Easy to fall inlove with. Don't you find it odd that you suddenly got the opportunity? "

His last sentence hit a nerve in Emily. "The fuck were they thinking? She wondered. Had they deluded themselves into believing that she was given the third floor because a ghost liked her and told the owner to do so? She was chosen because the owner was familiar with her work and he liked it.

"Look guys, thank you, but I got the job because I'm good at what I do," Emily answered bitterly.

She left the table and was on her way to grabbing the doorknob when Oliver clutched her shoulder and said, "Well at least let us know if you've seen the portrait."

"Yeah, and tell us how you felt about it. Did you fall for him?" Carlo chipped in.

"Excuse me? Emily yelped.

Just then the other door in the kitchen -the one that opened to the outside grounds - burst open. Clariss and her friends walked in, all of them smiling.

"Go ahead, Emily. Tell them how the portrait made you feel. Did it screw with your head? Skewed your thoughts and made you want to just stare or do nothing else?" Clariss asked with a grin playing at the side of her lips.

Emily frowned. She looked at Oliver and then at the rest of the men at the table.

"What is going on here?" Emily felt like there was something she missed. Something that was hidden behind their eyes and words.

Oliver laughed. But his laughter sounded to Emily like it came from someone who had just been caught in a lie.

They all fell silent. Then Clariss and her friends giggled. "They have an ongoing bet. When the workers found out that you'd be working on the third floor alone they decided to bet against each other on whether or not you'd be smitten by the portrait of Pier Brice. Some believed you'd drool and spend your time there gawking at the man. While the others who believed the lore said you'd be dead in a week."

"Hey, that's not how... I mean that's not all we..." Oliver looked at Emily with guilt-ridden eyes.

"Look Ems, we're sorry. It's not like that. That's not it. And besides, we wanted to warn you about... You know we.." Oliver stammered. Then he fell silent.

Emily threw Oliver a hurt expression. Tears were threatening to fall at the side of eyes. The local named Bartoleme stood and attempted to explain but Emily resorted to storming out of the kitchen without saying a word or hearing any of theirs.

***

Emily turned off the shower and stepped out, anger visible in her eyes. She wrapped a towel around herself and stepped out of the bathroom determined to ignore each and every one of those involved in that ridiculous bet.

After dressing herself she stepped out of her room. She debated for a moment whether to get something to eat in the kitchen or not. She had no desire to see any of her co-workers. But hunger won out.

As she approached the kitchen door she heard a commotion inside. The room seemed to be livelier than the previous days. There were more voices as if the kitchen was beaming with people.

Shaking her head, Emily thought to herself, step in, grab, storm out.

She pushed the kitchen door open and was immediately greeted with the scent of chocolate. Her assumption was right as her eyes took in the number of people. There were about fifty crammed inside. But what had Emily's eyebrow rising was the high and wide crystal bowl in the middle of the table that was filled with chocolate-coated apples.