Sarah walked slowly around, her fingers brushing the smooth desk surface.
“It’s beautiful,” she said quietly.
Ella smiled faintly. “Yes, ma. It’s the best in the building.”
Sarah nodded, still taking it all in. Yet beneath the excitement, she felt something else — eyes watching her through polite smiles.
When she passed some staff in the hallway, she noticed the way their smiles didn’t quite reach their eyes.
She could feel the silent questions, the quiet disbelief.
Still, she refused to let it get to her. She reminded herself that grace often meets resistance at the door of opportunity. “I’ll make the best of this,” she murmured under her breath.
About thirty minutes later, Ella returned. “Ma’am, Mrs. Augustine would like to see you outside.”
Sarah followed her through the eleva
