Liam Livingston watched the internal struggle play out across Chloe Chase’s face. She looked like a cornered animal, caught between the crushing weight of her own vanity and the terrifying reality of her husband’s impending unemployment. Around them, the elite clientele of the Lumina Corp headquarters slowed their pace, their eyes flickering with the cold curiosity of those who enjoy watching a social execution.
Chloe’s face turned a shade of bruised plum. She looked at the floor, then at the polished toes of Liam’s shoes, and finally, she forced the words out through a throat that seemed constricted by invisible wire.
"Daddy..." she whispered, the word sounding like a lead weight hitting the marble floor. "Please, Daddy... I’m begging you. Don't let my husband lose his job. We... we can
