e than any money I'd ever earned. It was a symbol. It was the first

let every call go to voicemail. The messages started sweet and

re you? Are you

e. My father wants to talk to you about th

ss me? You walk out of your own engagement party and then d

g the ugly, greedy face beneath

oo, his booming voice laced

ends now. You will come to my office tomorrow at noon to s

le in their neat little equation. They needed me compliant. They nee

re, but I knew the truth. The energy he'd tried to pull from me had been tainted by the obsidian

ered a call from Chloe. I made s

Where have you be

ust... I needed some time to think. Ever

" she snapped. "About hum

That contract... it felt like a lot, Chloe. It felt

ost hear the gears turning in her head as she s

told you, that's just my father. He's old-fashioned. He just wants to make sure we'r

aid, the words tastin

"A little celebration for Sarah's new job.

n on her and Derek celebrating my impending doom. They had been laughing about how stupid I was, how m

said. "I'l

ait to see you," she

rhythm. She thought she was luring me back into the fo

an hour before I was supposed to meet them. I found a small, dark table in a corner, partially obscure

m. A few minutes later, Derek Stone limped in, his leg in a large cast, a scowl on his face. My hand tightened around my g

placed it on the table, microphone pointed in their di

. Then, Mr. and Mrs. Peterson left, followed shortly by Sarah, leaving Chloe an

d, rubbing his cast. "I swear

annoyance. "He's getting flaky. Walking out of the par

loe. The connection is unstable without it. My funding is contingent on the next quarter's projections, and my projection

confirmed so baldly. They w

me, remember? He's a romantic fool. I'll cry a little, tell him how much he hurt me, how the contract i

ermanent and we drain everything he has-his creativity, his finances, his future... we can finally be together proper

. He leaned in and kissed her, a long,

ak. All I felt was a profound, chilling calm. The last vestige

, their heads close together, plo

rding. I saved the file, labeling it 'Ins

or the romantic fool to walk through the door and fall into their trap. But that m