dia

a skyscraper of glass and steel, a monument to the future. It was the antithesis of the Dynamos' ol

took a deep breath that did little to calm the

firm guard directed me to a facial recognition scanner. After my identit

I could introduce myself. "Miss Maynard. Mr

ly into a vast, open-plan office. Sunlight streamed through floor-to-ceiling windows. Employees worked with

-glass door at the far end of the floor and

ce answered from

oor open and s

ng a corner of the building with

re a perfectly tailored dark blue suit, his posture ramrod stra

tur

rown hair, and a face of sharp angles and stark planes. But it was his eyes that captured me. T

was as steady and calm as it had

he gestured toward a seating area with a lo

a relief. He poured me a glass of wat

y eyes pinning me in place. "I invited you here

as you may know, I'm still technically an emplo

confident you'll find a way to resolve it." He paused, his gaze sharpening. "Firs

stunned. How coul

ny, Miss Maynard. Information is our lifeblood." He leaned forward slightly. "I'm also a

lungs. I felt ut

meant to liven up the atmosphere, actually scared you. Although I have this ability, I don't have the

. My intent is not to intimidate you, but to de

. "This is a draft of our offer. Salary, equity, and full aut

just offering me a job. He was offering me ba

te this more than you know. But I've just come from a... complicated situation. I ne

At the end of the month, if we're both satisfied, we can sign a permanent contract. It'

a flicker of genuine admiration lit his eyes. "Excellent.

. "In that case, Cordia. Welcome to First Princ

as firm, warm, and brief. A

t was subtle, but significant. We were no longer just a

into the bright sunlight, I felt a sen

y to my leave-of-absence email

Acknow

n about my mother. N

, then deleted it. The last ember of warm