Two Weeks Pass: Anna's Perspective

"Hello, this is Monica Hanlon. I can't get to the phone right now. Please leave a message, and I'll return your call as soon as possible."

Anna didn't know how many times she tried calling her friend since she last saw her two weeks ago. She was starting to worry. She knew Monica didn't return to the office, she'd checked the log of people who entered and left. She didn't want to involve anyone else, but her friend's disappearance was concerning. Especially considering everything she was going through.

"It's been a while Anna, tough day?" It was the Brand Adjuster, he was approaching Anna, seemingly contemplating something. He had just got back from Geneva a few days ago, apparently he had left to look for the CEO at the Crawford Dairy Convention, since she had been gone a while too.

"My friend, Monica. She's disappeared last week, and no one knows where she is." Anna worriedly put her phone in her pocket.

"Oh, her. Maybe she's with the missing CEO?" The Brand Adjuster chuckled and hit the elevator button to go up. "They'd make quite a pair."

"That's not funny!" Anna scowled. "And I think you did something with her!"

"Did I now?" The BA grinned. "You know, as much as I would've loved to have had something to do with your busty red-headed friend's absence, I can tell you, I did not."

"Well, then where could she possibly be?" Anna was near tears.

"Look, if I didn't do it, I don't know, maybe ask your department head. You said she didn't come back after going down to your R&D wing, right?"

"I already talked to Dr. Verlax, he told me he never saw her. I don't think she made it that far."

The BA impatently sighed, "Then maybe she eloped with her 'boyfriend' Hubert. You know as well as I he resigned last week. Maybe they went off together, hmm?"

"I-I-I didn't even think about that." Anna was flustered. "They did have a fling, didn't they, yeah, maybe that does make sense...:

"See, problem solved, and you don't have to blame me." The Brand Adjuster exited the elevator as his floor came up.

Anna was relieved to hear the suggestion, and the more she thought about it, the more it made sense, so she finally stopped worrying about her friend, embracing the idea Monica maybe just got tired of working here and left with Hubert.