THE GLASS INHERITANCE

Chapter 5: The Gilded Cage

The sun didn't rise over Manhattan; it slowly got brighter until the penthouse windows shone like gold.

Juno was already awake. She had slept on the floor of the north suite, her back against the terrace door watching the kestrel. The bird had finally eaten—a piece of raw beef she’d had to beg from a night chef who seemed confused by "unseasoned" meat.

At 8:00 AM someone knocked on the door.

"Come in, " Juno said, standing up and smoothing out her silk trousers.

Elias walked in followed by a woman who looked like a model. She was wearing all grey, her hair pulled back into a bun that made her look serious.

"Juno, this is Catherine Vane, " Elias said, gesturing toward the woman. "She's an image consultant in the tri-state area. She has six hours to make you look good for the board meeting."

Catherine didn't shake hands. She walked around Juno humming a note. "Your face is great. Your skin needs work.. Your hair?" She touched a curl. "It needs to be fixed."

"My hair is fine, " Juno said, stepping back. "It keeps my neck warm."

Elias leaned against the doorframe, his arms crossed. "Catherine is here to help you Juno. She wants to make sure you look like a leader, not someone who needs help."

"I'm not someone who needs help. I'm a shareholder " Juno said, looking at Elias. "You told me that didn't you?"

"A shareholder who looks like she just got off a boat " Elias replied smoothly. "I have a meeting at the New York Stock Exchange. I expect you to be ready by two. Catherine, she's all yours. Try not to let her get upset."

As Elias left Catherine snapped her fingers. Two assistants came in carrying racks of clothes that looked like art.

"Take off your clothes, " Catherine said.

"Excuse me?"

"We don't have time for modesty. I need to see how you look. We're making you look like Thorne and Thornes are confident and stylish."

The four hours were a blur. Juno got scrubbed, polished and plucked. Her hair was styled into a knot that felt heavy. They dressed her in a charcoal power suit—the trousers sharp and the blazer fitted.

By noon Juno was staring at a stranger in the mirror. The woman looking back was sleek and cold.

"Now " Catherine said, handing her heels. "Walk."

"I don't know if I can walk in these, " Juno said, looking at the heels. "I'll fall."

"Then fall gracefully, " Catherine said. "In this city being tall is important. If you're shorter than the men they'll talk over you. If you're level with them they'll listen."

Juno put on the shoes. The world tilted. She felt unsteady, like a bird on a wire. She took a step, another.

"Better, " Catherine said. "Now remember: don't fidget with your hands. Don't look at the floor.. Don't mention the birds."

Elias returned at 1:45 PM. He stopped at the entrance, his eyes traveling from Juno’s heels to her jaw. The silence was heavy. For a second Elias looked surprised.

"Well?" Juno asked, her voice echoing in the room. "Do I look good now?"

Elias walked toward her his footsteps quiet. He stopped so close to her that she had to look up. He reached out his fingers brushing her blazer.

"You look..." He hesitated, looking human for a second. "Like Thorne. Maybe much like one."

"Is that good or bad?"

"In my family they're usually the thing, " he said, dropping his hand. "The car is downstairs. The board is waiting. They're hungry. Try to look like you're in control."

As they walked toward the elevator Juno felt the weight of the city pressing in. She thought of the kestrel back in the room safe in its carrier. She wondered which one of them was truly trapped.

The Plot Twist begins to simmer: As the elevator doors opened Elias’s phone chimed. He glanced at it, his expression darkening for a second before he masked it. It was a message, from a number: The girl is a distraction. Don’t forget who actually owes the debt.