ed into the bathroom. I was supposed to be at t

ld leave early, be composed, be the v

ir of trousers to another, with my

confusion. "You got a job as the secretary to the CEO. From the same St

ea

't feel weird t

slid into my heels at the same time. "All I know is, I'm the secret

Starlak. If

er straightened, ponytail tight, a gir

lia said. She had put down her phone; all her f

y of putting herself out there- bold, co

ftly and gr

*

econd I just stood there, the same glass and marble t

I whispered to my

ds. She stood by the receptionist desk l

you." Her tone was calm, the same as yester

told me I didn't get the position. Then hours later I get an ema

d. The board simply told me to send the offer. But you're here, an

ne.

is waiting for you. He doesn't tolerate lateness

and different areas. Half of me was listening, but the other was still wandering in the strangene

opped in front of a

to meet my boss, and as they; Fir

't wait for an answer bef

- half the walls white and clean, the other half f

ssed to his ear, tall, broad-shouldered. H

ped me cold. Just a few words, and I

my

rned

his is Ama Wellington

e. The man whose expensive suit I'd insulted, call

esk nameplate coated in black wit

LAK CORP

b

to run away. My fingers fussed

cleaning - slow, deliberate, head to heels - and I stood very stil

ordinary introduction. Between him an

r first im

the window-and that was it, a dismissal

could ring, a landline, a stack of forms and files to begin with. "One more thing," she

s name?" I

cus

against my chest. Marc

ing every version of how badly this could go. What if he already knows?

elf, though I didn't believe it. "Just

bag before I'd even

is(

d left Boston-not that night, not the next day. A month

Mo

hin, stretched. "You need to

just got a job, and New York is tu

oice made the hair

home... Boston is safe. It'

you. What is a trap? Nobo

t pleading this time, but frightened, in a way I'd never

don't have time to expl

ne wen

to my ear, the dial tone humming against

adn't done anything except get on a bus and try to build

k. Straight

again. S

gure out what she meant when the i

idn't feel. I knew it was Marcus calling, and I picked u

el

offi

ne wen

y phone

separate threats that had, somehow, in the space of one buzzing phone, starte

it was the only thing I could

" I muttered u

softly o

me

against my ribs a