risse's disappeara

atives' official letterhead: Lucien Morales, an international conglomerate inves

coming f

ming for

tense meeting. "Morales is known for gutting busin

ak," Elian re

intedly at Amira seated besid

s later, and his presenc

s, he commanded every room he entered. His hair

-on-one meetings w

st session wa

rom her in the boardroom. "You're creative. Sharp. Em

flinch. "I carry scars, M

essive answer. Let's see if

o her office to find an old envelop

ngle, faded bir

elasco Dela Cruz

ather" was the one that

o Dela

logical

't spoken in ov

her mother. A man who had sold secrets to corporations and

someon

e second sheet: a court document showin

the knoc

li

e face, and immediately cr

him the pap

is brow furrowing.

n't you

he was gone

told me," he

s ash

sing her pet name. "You don't h

asked, panic rising. "What if he us

show him that your past d

did fi

ext day with the court

his," he s

"I survived it. The

peak for a

f truth. But truth mu

e. "Then let me

ied too young. The reason she changed her name in college. The first

dn't look impressed. B

erde," he said. "Let us see

lian had big

d ties to Clarisse's father and were quietly red

emergency board vote

y, public,

Elia

ounded. Morale shaken

g contract to ceme

when the of

ng tech brand in Singapore,

k. One

e Creativ

biggest

e's new

battle h

ith Elian on the rooftop of their buil

for this?

"I was mad

kno

n after everything-my father, Clarisse, M

ur perfect parts, Amira. I fell in love with the

sm

and whispered,