But at what cost?
When we reached my building, Nicholas handed me a sealed envelope.
“Your weekly schedule, should you accept the position. And a contract outlining the terms.”
“Thank you,” I said, taking it automatically.
As I moved to exit the car, Nicholas spoke again.
“Miss Morgan, a word of advice.”
I paused, looking back at him.
“My brother is not a man accustomed to hearing no.”
His expression was solemn.
“Whatever you decide, remember that.”
With that ominous warning hanging in the air, I got out of the car and watched as it pulled away, its taillights disappearing around the corner.
I clutched the envelope in one hand and the business card in the other, feeling as if I stood at a crossroads with no idea which path led to safety and which to ruin.
As I climbed the stairs to my apartment, my phone buzzed with a text message from an unknown number.
Thank you for returning Marco’s backpack. He sleeps better with it. Consider my offer carefully, Ellie.
I stared at the message, wondering how he had gotten my number, then remembered that of course he would have it. He seemed to know everything else about me.
The thought should have terrified me.
Instead, I felt a strange flutter in my chest that I refused to examine too closely.
That night, I dreamed of blue eyes watching me from the shadows, and a child’s drawing of a family that included a woman with hair the color of sunshine.
Part 2
Morning came with no clarity.
I had spent hours reading over the contract Nicholas had given me, stunned by the details. A salary that made my current income look like pocket change. Comprehensive benefits. A separate apartment on the Russo estate with my own entrance. Explicit provisions for my sister’s education.
Everything was laid out in precise legal language, as legitimate as any employment contract I had ever seen.
It seemed too good to be true.
The phrase kept echoing in my mind as I moved through my daily routine in a daze. I called my sister, careful to keep my voice casual as I asked about her classes, her roommates, whether she needed anything.
