Layla stood where she was until the sound of the engine faded into silence. His offhand words stuck like barbs—catching in her chest.
When she returned home, the entryway light came on automatically. As she bent to change her shoes, she noticed the black umbrella in the corner of the shoe cabinet. The silver double-R emblem on its ribs gleamed coldly beneath the warm light.
'Damn. I forgot to return it.'
Then again, they lived in the same community. They would inevitably meet again.
Layla moved the umbrella closer to the wall and decided to find an opportunity the next day.
But for the next 2 days, she practically chained herself to the study. She broke down, reassembled, and tested every difficult question Stratos Group's technical officers had raised. By the time she produced the th
