The reflection in the rain-slick glass vanished as fast as it appeared.
One blink and the figure was gone, like a trick of light, or maybe a warning.
I stayed frozen by the window for a full minute, breath fogging the glass. The street below glistened under the wet glow of the streetlamps. Empty. Silent.
But in my chest, every instinct screamed: I’m being watched.
Sleep was a lost cause. By sunrise, I was already at my desk, dark circles bruised beneath my eyes, scrolling through emails I could barely process. The smell of burnt coffee filled the small kitchen.
Then a headline flashed across my screen, bold, shiny, and cruel:
“Billionaire Jonathan Pierce Launches New Foundation: ‘The Future of Compassion.’”
My stomach dropped.
The accompanying photo showed Pierce, all perfect smi
