MAISIE
The cold morning air feels like a slap after the warm haze of last night’s champagne. Lena and I push through the sleek glass doors of our building, the buzz of the city immediately replaced by a different, more aggressive hum.
A small crowd is gathered just past the entrance. Not protestors. Worse. Reporters. I see the logos for Bloomberg and The Wall Street Journal, and my stomach does a little flip.
A woman in a sharp blazer steps forward, a microphone thrust toward my face like a weapon. "Ms. Rory! Maisie! Do you have a comment on the hostile takeover bid from Kage Capital? Is it true your company is facing insurmountable technical challenges?"
I stop walking. Lena tenses beside me. This is it. The first real test.
I force my shoulders to relax and offer a small, weary smi
