Chapter 1

Cora pushed open the glass doors of the marketing department. Her expensive heels stopped dead on the polished concrete floor.

A massive wall of congratulatory floral arrangements blocked her path. The overpowering stench of lilies and imported orchids hit her nose, making her stomach churn.

Ms. Perkins, the receptionist, rushed forward. Her face was stretched into a tight, desperate smile. She held out a crystal flute of expensive champagne.

"Congratulations on the acquisition, Ms. Sawyer!" Ms. Perkins chirped, her voice trembling slightly.

Cora stared at the glass. She didn't take it. Her fingers twitched at her sides. She shoved past the receptionist without a word.

The open-plan office was dead silent. Dozens of employees stared at her. Their eyes were wide, filled with a sickening mixture of awe and fear. They shrank back against their cubicles as she walked past.

A cold knot formed in the pit of Cora's stomach. Her pulse accelerated, hammering against her ribs.

She didn't stop at her desk. She marched straight down the hallway toward the CEO's office. Her heels slammed into the carpet like hammer strikes.

She grabbed the heavy oak handle and shoved the double doors open. They hit the walls with a loud crack.

Mr. Sterling sat behind his massive mahogany desk. He was in the middle of a video conference. When the doors crashed open, his entire body jerked. He scrambled for the mouse and slammed the laptop shut.

Cora walked up to his desk. She grabbed the thick, cream-colored folder sitting right in front of him. The bold letters read: Notice of Appointment: Chief Executive Officer.

She slammed the folder back down onto the desk. The sound echoed in the large room.

"Who did this?" Cora demanded. Her voice was low, but it cut through the air like a razor.

Sterling wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead with a shaking hand. He couldn't meet her eyes.

"Ms. Sawyer," Sterling stammered, his throat clicking as he swallowed. "The company... we were acquired late last night. A full buyout. Phoenix Capital owns everything now."

The blood drained from Cora's face. The name hit her like a physical blow to the chest. Her lungs tightened.

Phoenix Capital.

Claudia.

Cora snatched the keys to the company car off Sterling's desk. She turned on her heel and headed for the door.

"Ms. Sawyer, wait! We have transition meetings-" Sterling called out, his voice panicky.

Cora stopped in the doorway. She looked over her shoulder. Her eyes were dead, completely devoid of emotion. Sterling froze, his mouth snapping shut.

She walked out of the building and hit the Manhattan pavement.

The sky had broken open. Heavy, freezing rain poured down. Cora ripped the collar of her trench coat open, desperate for air. Her chest heaved.

She didn't bother looking for an umbrella. She stepped right into the flooded street and threw her hand up. A yellow taxi swerved and slammed on its brakes, splashing dirty water against her shins.

Cora yanked the door open and slid into the back seat. The freezing rain soaked through her clothes, chilling her skin, but it finally cleared the fog in her head.

"Phoenix Capital Headquarters," Cora snapped.

The driver looked at her through the rearview mirror. He scowled at the puddle forming on his leather seats. "Lady, you're ruining my-"

Cora opened her soaked designer bag. Her fingers bypassed the useless credit cards, digging into a hidden compartment. She pulled out a crumpled hundred-dollar bill-her only remaining cash-and threw it over the plastic partition. It landed on the passenger seat.

The driver shut his mouth, threw the car into drive, and slammed on the gas.

The taxi weaved through the gridlocked Manhattan traffic. The neon signs blurred through the rain-streaked window. Cora clenched her jaw so hard her teeth ached.

She remembered the suffocating weight of her sister's control. Every school, every degree, every martial arts instructor. Claudia had orchestrated her entire life like a military campaign.

The taxi jerked to a halt. Cora shoved the door open. She took the marble steps of the Phoenix Capital building two at a time.

She walked through the revolving doors. A massive security guard stepped into her path, holding up a hand.

"Ma'am, you need an appointment to-"

"My last name is Sawyer," Cora said. Her voice was ice.

The guard's eyes widened. He immediately stepped back and lowered his head.

Cora bypassed the reception desk and walked straight to the private executive elevator. She hit the button for the top floor.

The doors slid open. She marched down the silent, carpeted hallway. The executive assistant stood up from her desk, her eyes wide with panic.

"Ms. Sawyer, she's in a-"

Cora shoved the assistant out of the way. She grabbed the handles of the double doors and threw them open.

The penthouse office was massive. Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooked the glittering Manhattan skyline.

Claudia stood by the glass. She held a martini glass in her right hand. She turned around slowly. A perfect, condescending smile played on her red lips.

"You ruined my life," Cora spat. Her hands balled into fists at her sides. Her fingernails dug into her palms.

Claudia took a slow sip of her drink. She looked at Cora like she was a stray dog that had wandered into a palace.

"Your life was a waste of time," Claudia said. Her voice was smooth, completely unaffected by Cora's rage. "Playing an ordinary office worker? It's pathetic."

Claudia walked slowly toward the massive desk. Her heels clicked rhythmically against the hardwood floor.

"The heir to the Sawyer empire does not rot in a middle-management cubicle," Claudia stated. She looked down her nose at Cora.

"I don't need your money," Cora snarled. Her chest burned with anger. "I don't need anything from this family."

Claudia let out a short, dry laugh. She picked up a thick legal document from her desk and tossed it across the polished wood. It slid and stopped right in front of Cora.

"Read it," Claudia commanded.

Cora looked down. The bold print at the top made her stomach drop. Asset Freeze and Account Suspension Agreement.

Every independent bank account she had built. Every trust she had accessed. All of it. Gone.

A wave of pure, blinding rage washed over Cora. Her hands shook violently. She grabbed the thick stack of papers. She ripped them in half, then in quarters. She threw the shredded pieces into the air. They rained down on the desk like snow.

Claudia didn't blink. She watched the paper fall.

"Stop throwing tantrums, Cora," Claudia said softly. "You have no money. You have no job. Come back and take your place."

Cora took a deep, ragged breath. She wanted to flip the heavy desk over. She wanted to wrap her hands around her sister's throat.

"In your dreams," Cora whispered.

She turned around and walked out, slamming the heavy doors behind her.

An hour later, Cora unlocked the door to her small Brooklyn apartment. She was exhausted. Her muscles ached. She dropped her wet coat on the floor and collapsed onto the cheap fabric sofa.

She stared at the ceiling. Her chest felt incredibly tight. She was trapped.

She sat up and looked at the coffee table. A sleek, black package sat in the center. There was no return address.

Cora ripped the tape off. Inside was a high-tech VR headset. It looked like a sleek, black visor. A small white card rested on top of it.

The ultimate escape from reality.

Cora stared at it. It had Claudia's fingerprints all over it. It was probably some twisted psychological test.

But her head was throbbing. Her bank accounts were empty. The walls of her apartment felt like they were closing in on her.

Cora grabbed the headset. She didn't care what it was. She just needed the world to stop for a few hours.

She slid the visor over her eyes and pressed the power button on the side.

A low hum vibrated against her temples. Then, her vision went completely black.