18 - Careless

The goodbye was only temporary, so it was a quick affair: a brief handshake between everyone, a promise to meet again tomorrow, and then Mr. Burhock’s and Anthony’s subsequent disappearance into a waiting vehicle in front of the building. Jia gave them a final wave before the luxury sedan disappeared down the street, and then Lydia tapped her on the shoulder, urging her to follow. Atlas had already begun heading back inside.

“Lydia,” he said just as they discreetly caught up to him with hurried but careful steps to avoid the tell-tale clatter of stiletto heels on the ground.

“Yes, sir?”

Lydia squeezed in through the revolving glass door just in time behind Atlas, leaving Jia behind to helplessly wait for the next enclosure to come sliding around. She didn’t even get a chance to overhear what it was that Atlas had to say, and she fervently hoped that missing his next words wouldn’t be her undoing. She hurried into the ad