Chapter 3

I stepped out of the company building and the harsh sunlight hit me like a slap. I squinted and fumbled for my sunglasses.

My phone buzzed in my pocket. A new email.

The sender was the HR director's personal email address, and the subject line didn't mince words: [Ms. Emily Lane, Please Honor Your Contractual Obligations.]

I opened it, and the email dripped with condescension and thinly veiled threats.

[Emily, according to the non-compete agreement you signed upon joining our company, you are prohibited from working in any competing firm for two years, and you are expressly forbidden from contacting…