the ceiling, her body rigid, waiting for the sou

she felt hollowed out, her

he couldn't let last night ruin t

es under her eyes. She pulled on a sharp, navy blue pencil skirt and a crisp white silk blouse. She locked

, the hous

"Barron left before the sun came up. Betty said he went straight to a breakfa

ce to remain blank. He moved back to trap me, caught me in my

ug of coffee. "I have

ng her notes on the Vance Group. They were a top-tier investment firm. Getting a job here meant a m

towering glass skyscraper

against her face, clearing her head. She walked into the mass

w was on the

n her name was called, she stood up, smoothed her sk

t with silver hair and sharp, assessi

recision. She deflected the stress-test questions with calm confidence. She pushed t

Vance stood up. A genuine, impre

nce in person is even better," Vance said, extending his hand. "We ha

er her in a massive, dizzying wave. "Tha

egs felt light. She had done it. She was goi

de, carpeted hallway t

display above the metal doors lit up, c

i

d steel doo

rward, a smile still

tly. Her blood turned

evator, surrounded by three older men

were resting casually in his pockets. He was listening to t

uldn't breathe. She couldn't

They locked onto Carley

then snapped back up to her face. His expression didn't change. He

uldn't step into that metal box with him. Her

Mr. N

voice boomed fro

ransforming from the authoritative interviewer to a subservient s

e dripping with the kind of absolute subservience reserved for the man wh

a bottomless pit. Barron wasn't just

ey still standing frozen in

Carley. "This is Carley Holman. She just interviewed for the

back to Carley. The silence in the

back and forth between them. "Actually, Miss Holman, you share a fami

g in the air lik

elevator turned t

ed over and adjusted the cuff of his right sleeve. It was his signature mov

ting for h