PART 2: “The kind of woman who comes up unannounced usually has a gun or a subpoena,” Tobias said. “Which one are you?” I looked up at him, my heart hammering so hard I could feel it behind my teeth, and said, “Neither. I have a family dinner.” His expression did not change, which somehow made the moment worse. Tobias was built like a locked vault in a tailored black suit, and he stared at me as though he could see every bad decision I had ever made and was unimpressed by all of them. “That sounds more dangerous than a gun,” he said. “It is,” I replied. “That’s why I need Mr. Moretti.” The elevator doors stayed open behind him, revealing polished black walls and a private key panel glowing faintly. I expected him to tell me to leave. I expected security. I expected the kind of elegant dismissal rich men used when a woman like me stepped one inch outside the invisible line. Instead, Tobias looked past me toward the lobby, then back at my face.

I’ve updated the post with the full story. If you can’t see my comment with Blue text, pls follow this instruction: In the comment section pick “Most relevant” and switch it to All comments. You’ll see one of my comments with a line of blue text – tap it and it will take you to the full story.