Chapter 147
Chapter 147:
She had three dollars to her name. She had nowhere to go. Liam was gone. Her mother was in hiding.
“Good,” Skye said. She dropped the file onto Seraphina’s head. It slid down to the floor.
“Report to Hank at 6:00 a.m. tomorrow. Don’t be late. And, Seraphina p>
Seraphina looked up.
“Make sure the toilets sparkle p>
Skye dropped the mic and walked off the stage.
“Back to work,” she ordered the room.
The crowd dispersed instantly, rushing back to their desks, terrified and awed.
Later, in the penthouse office, Skye stood by the window, pouring a drink. Alistair sat on her leather sofa, reading a report.
“Why give her a job?” Alistair asked. “Why not just crush her and be done with it p>
“Because if I fire her, she disappears,” Skye said, taking a sip of whiskey. “She goes underground. She becomes a desperate, unpredictable variable p>
She turned to face him.
“By keeping her employed, I know exactly where she is for eight hours a day. I control her income. I control her environment. And p>
Skye smiled, a dark glint in her eyes.
“I want to break her spirit. I want her to wake up every morning and scrub filth, knowing that I am the one signing her paycheck. It’s not about revenge, Alistair. It’s about education p>
“And Apex?” Alistair asked, raising an eyebrow. “Is it secure p>
“Completely,” Skye assured him. “It’s a blind subsidiary. No Oracle branding, no connection to the main grid. She’ll be scrubbing floors in a grey box, completely unaware that she’s working for the company she tried to sabotage. Hank has strict instructions to keep her isolated from the admin offices p>
The next morning. 6:00 a.m.
𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿 𝗯𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗻 𝗯𝗲.𝗰𝗼𝗺
Seraphina arrived at the Apex Logistics Warehouse. It was a grim, grey concrete block in an industrial wasteland. The manager, a gruff man named Hank with a beer belly, looked her up and down.
“You the new girl?” Hank grunted. “You’re late. Grab a mop. The men’s bathroom is clogged p>
Seraphina stared at the filthy mop bucket. The water was grey. The smell of industrial bleach and urine made her gag. She remembered the penthouse. She remembered the champagne. She remembered the silk sheets.
A single tear fell into the dirty water.
She gripped the mop handle. Her manicured nails dug into the wood.
“I will kill her,” Seraphina whispered. The vow was quiet, but solid. “I will find a way. I will take everything back p>
Back at Trinity, Skye signed the new contract for Gabriel Ross.
“You’re officially the face of Apex Media,” she told him.
Gabriel winked. “Does this come with a raise p>
Skye laughed. “Don’t push it p>