Chapter 3

The next morning, I went to the office like nothing had happened.

No time off, no changes to my schedule.

When Barry saw me, he looked visibly relieved, like he'd just gotten the confirmation he needed.

"Mr. Foster, the materials for the 9:30 meeting are on your desk," he said.

I nodded and walked into my office.

The desk was spotless, just a stack of files—nothing extra.

I flipped open the first file—it was a joint project tied to Sophia. Her studio had scored a bunch of partnerships, all riding on my influence.

Back then, I never bothered with the…