he hallway toward the guest suites. Thei

tchen, pulled a bottle of room-temperature water from

w-profile gray business suit. She pulled

from the back of her closet and shoved

ilding and stopped at a Starbucks

er her black card. The POS machine let

The line of businessmen behind her

her wallet, pulling out crumpled bills and loose quarters

he sleek office of a top-tie

mpressed by her Ivy League credentials

g. He picked it up. Within seconds

He slid the resume back across the desk to Em

d the edge of the d

pted, lowering his voice to a harsh whisper. "I c

ked out of the building, the brig

hree more media and advertising agencies.

ven pretend. He tossed her res

l blacklist shared among the top media execs in the city. No one will touch you," the ma

llapsed onto a cold wood

n on her heel was rubbed raw, a burst b

shivered violently, crossing her arms tightly ov

filter. She could not afford to fall apart. She could not afford to give up. There was a tiny

A text from Alex,

enthouse and sign the papers now, he w

screen. Pure, unadulterat

e. She blocke

y the dizzying drop of pregnancy-induced hy

now-frozen account just yesterday. Even worse, she had tried to pawn her diamond earrings earlier, only to find

a cheap dinner to feed the baby, o

weight. She buried her face in her hand

over her, blocking the

s pushed gently into her line of sight

ike you cou