d by the locked door for a long moment, the weight of his n

the enormous leather sofa, the exhaustion of th

closed her eyes, forcing herself to take stock. She had survived the night. She had initiated the annul

shattered by a shr

ilent save for social notifications. A glaring red light was flashin

sk

, the Imperium's only legally sanct

holographic interface projected into the air,

the silent living room. "Miss Shields. Yo

mber appeared, glow

,000 St

. In her previous life, she had been so consumed with chasing men that she had never o

otic voice continued, "your credit score has been re-evaluated and downgraded. The immunity cla

le had j

r Coins. Failure to comply will result in the immediate seizure and aucti

l disco

y apartment, the silence more deafening

mm-link. The balance was pathetic. A few thousand coins. Not

second, despair washed

e night with Lantis kicked in. The despair was replaced by

the apartment's most ostenta

ive items greeted her. Limited-edition handbags, haute couture gowns still i

ingless trophies

d with a new, p

oset. It was her

us luxury resale platform. Then she began to work. She ph

of its market value. In the description

nse was in

loor amidst a sea of silk and leather, processing orders, arranging for courier bots

speration. By the time the first rays of dawn pierced through the floor-to-ceiling wi

n, she transferred exactly t

d. Minimum payment received. N

ught herse

from her forehead. She walked to the kitchen and poured herself

comm-link chimed again. This time, it was a sound she hadn'

n seal of the Sovereign Pal

er mother, Qu

e Sovereign Palace at once to account for the even

rieve w