photo of my parents, a couple of art books, and a small, abstract clay sculpture Ethan ha

rown on her face. "Ava, darling, are you ok

sped dramatically. "Oh my go

ch device, supposedly revolutionary. She claimed she'd been working

missing?" "The new AuraBand?" "Isabella just had it!" Whispers tu

usiness and concern for

s right here! It's vanished!" Isabell

landed on me. "Security! Search h

o my box of personal items. As one guard lifted it, he "accidentally" fumbled, and the box crashed to the floor. My belo

y and scattered books, lay the s

riumphant gasp. "There it i

id steal it!" "Corporate e

this was a setup. Isabella's perfectly tim

roared. He strode towards me. He deliberately stepped on the lar

e suddenly silent office. My cheek stung, my

his face inches from mine. "You tried to

. He believed I was a thief, a saboteur. After six years, this is what he thought o

ing to drag me towards

, don't be too hard on her. Maybe she just... made a

And that prototype is probably worth less than the coffee I buy you all every morning.

ily. He grabbed my arm again, his fingers digging into my skin, and started pulling me t

'd mention our six year