Celina rode the elevator down with her heart racing, her steps unsteady, as if her legs could no longer carry her weight. When she pushed through the revolving doors of Brown & Associates, daylight struck her eyes, forcing her to shut them for a brief moment. The air outside felt lighter than the suffocating tension she had just left behind on the upper floor.

The sharp sound of her heels echoed on the sidewalk as she walked away from the building. Her chest still heaved, her breath short and u