Roma

lly, the ringing stopped, replaced by the mechanical click of the automated voicemail system.

. I pressed my thumb so hard against the glass sc

imes, the call was brutally rejected, sent

d. But the voice that answered didn't belong to

oice. He informed me that the CEO was in the mi

each other. I told him there was a life-or-death emergency at home

a keyboard on his end. He was checking the schedule,

e stated that the meeting was classified as Level S, and s

t my father's leukemia had mutated. My voice broke,

romising to leave a memo on Axel's desk, but added that based

, I distinctly heard Axel's deep, resonant laugh, followed by the clinking of gl

o know if Axel was stan

he cellular reception in the boardroom was

e. A massive, suffocating wave of betra

gular glass window of the hospital door. I watched t

fragile, pleading girl vanished. My gaze turned hard and entirely cold. Softness had never bought me an

tor bank. My first few steps were shaky, but by the tim

tal lobby. The biting Seattle wind hit my face like an op

t. A yellow cab pulled over. I yanked the do

or, asking for an address. I met my own reflectio

roup Headquarters. My voice was compl

t the towering skyscrapers and the blur of pedestrians. I felt entirely de

ck. I uncapped it, using the reflection of the tinted car wi

r I had left. I refused to walk into that

massive, imposing glass tower. It was

out onto the pavement. I tilted my head back, squinting against the ha

ighter across my chest. I took a breath and

avernous lobby, the blinding reflection of

otted me. Their hushed conversations stopped insta

xecutive elevators. Before I could reach the call button, two ma

demanded I produce an appointment QR code, treating m

Foley's w