ll, Vivienne's narrow smile. Helena's patience masked ambition. Howard

old, was suddenly alive in the tension that filled the room. And Adria

within the three-month period, his shares shall be redistributed equally among the other c

't replied to his calls. And now, the cl

t family members and few of the board members. And everyone

ara

ted herse

t h

the n

rse

igh, but inside, something burned with shame, anger, di

er, she kept t

s just a man who paid her fees. A mi

cusing on her brother in the hospital, her mother

r w

mom

't pause f

nto routine like survival d

ng lec

n hospita

shifts

machine, ignoring the lingering weight in her chest every time

ol

something he n

red to herself const

was starting

n. Food made her nauseous. She blamed stress-what

day everyth

work when

l of coffee thick in the air. Elara gripped the edge of

okay?" som

ne," she

was

room

ision

hen-da

up, the world

o q

iseptic smell. A soft bee

spi

t dropped

bro

o quickly. "My

rse said gently. "

ra f

professional, holding a file that suddenl

urself," he began. "Your bod

uickly. "I just need

his head

re's

is tone made he

efully, "you're twent

d didn't

coll

she whi

en. Like if she said it enoug

s not p

it

invited incident at the club. The car. T

ds began

oice cracked. "I have school.

h hitched

't have

m. Not soft tears. Not quiet ones. These

er hands to he

ied. "How am I supposed to carry a chil

ped around

r chest-heavy, suffocating. Not ju

d so hard to s

erything wa

educa

fut

stabi

thread she didn'

he wor

didn't e

y through her tear

red bitterly. "Of course

in a long time, El

t t

overw

os

, there was no