The email arrived at 11:47 PM: Congratulations, Ms. Caldwell. After careful consideration, Sterling Global is pleased to offer you the position of Executive Assistant to Marcus Sterling, effective immediately. Report to the executive suite at 7 AM sharp.
Vera's finger hovered over the screen, her pulse thrumming against her throat like a trapped insect.
Three years. Three years of strategic positioning, of "accidentally" attending the same conferences, of ensuring her resume landed on the right desks, of studying Marcus Sterling's preferences until she knew them better than her own reflection. The final piece clicked into place.
She didn't sleep, she packed, folding silk blouses and pencil skirts that she'd chosen specifically because they matched the aesthetic Marcus preferred in his
