Phoenix’s grip slipped on the ballet barre, his knee buckling as he crashed onto the studio mat. Across the room, his dance instructor, Misha, winced.“Enough,” Misha said, tossing Phoenix a towel. “You’re pushing too hard.”Phoenix hurled the towel against the mirror. “I’ve been crawling for months. You said I’d walk by summer. Walk, not limp like a—”“Like a man who survived a bullet?” Misha snapped. “You’re alive. Adjust your expectations.”Phoenix glared at his reflection—the scarred leg, the cane propped against the barre. “I don’t do ‘adjusted expectations.’”His phone buzzed. Brianna: Board meeting meltdown. Can you come?He typed one-handed while hauling himself up. Be there in 20. Try not to fire anyone before I arrive.Foundation Headquarters – Conference RoomBrianna stood at the head of the table, flanked by Levi and Sarah, as board member Carl Hargrove slammed his fist on the polished wood.“You’re bleeding donors, Brianna! First the Truth Hour disaster, now this?” Carl s
Last Updated : 2025-08-31 Read more