I was halfway through my third coffee of the morning when the email pinged. The kind of ping that feels like a punch straight to the stomach. “Meeting with the CEO. 9:30 AM. Conference Room B.” No subject line, no context. Just a cold, sterile little command.I stared at it, heart thumping. A design review, I told myself. Just another review. But my gut said something else. Something heavy. Something that made my hands tremble just thinking about it.By 9:28, I was pacing outside Conference Room B like a caged animal. My mind refused to settle. Don’t panic. It’s probably nothing. Just a review. My boss? Nah, he wouldn’t schedule a random meeting like this.I stepped into the room, and the air hit me first. That weird, sanitized corporate smell, like someone scrubbed the walls with bleach and ambition. Then I saw the papers on the table. Big, official-looking documents with logos and signatures. My heart skipped. And then it stopped.“Skye,” a voice said. Smooth, sharp, unmistakable. T
Last Updated : 2026-01-01 Read more