cut me

eel counter of a sterile, anonymous kitchen. The

ng for the night, looked up from her laptop. "Wha

to a perfect square. "I have a meeting at Holmes Holdin

at's insane," Chloe said, her brow furrow

ad used safety pins on the inside seams to tailor it so it fit like a second skin. She pulled on a pair of non-pres

s Holdings tower in Midtown. It was a monolith of

t acq

gave her name. The receptionist typed

d professional. She picked up a phone. "

60 beats per minute. She adjusted

lized from the side corridor. Not security. He w

ed, her voice pitching up slightly. "I

way, M

her to the executive elevator. The numbers climbed

ingle table. Two chairs. It looked less like

ng hair and eyes that looked like they had seen everything

onto the table. It slid across the su

Holmes Family Scholarship for the last six yea

a genius think she could hide a p

rate. She thought of the eviction notice, of the c

rate

r hands, twisting her fingers together. "The scholarship was everything. I would ne

as looking for deceit. He

face. She held her breath for a second, for

is earpiece. "

audible only to him, but El

ess," Silas said to th

. Then Silas nodd

stility evaporated, replaced by

. Moran. We have a... settlement agreement

behind the glasses. "Will

ently," Silas said. He slid a thick document tow

cally said she surrendered her rights to speech, thou

her onl

hand tremble just enough to make th

d to the massive mahogany doubl

you now. To finaliz

ed her ill-fitting skirt. S

shed from her face. Her jaw set. Her eyes cle

t and pushed t