The clock on the bedside table blinked 6:58 PM. I stared at the key card in my hand, tracing the cool, raised lettering of “The Onyx Tower.” It felt heavy, not just with the promise of a job, but with the weight of my own desperation.
In the hours between leaving the office and arriving here, I hadn't let myself think, not really. I'd gone back to my apartment, showered, and changed into the simplest black dress I owned...something easy to take off.
My mind was a terrifying blank space, focusing only on the mechanics of getting here.
Get in the cab. Go to the front desk.
Take the elevator.
I finally pressed the button for the 18th floor. The elevator music was gentle and mocking. When the doors opened, the hallway was silent, carpeted in deep burgundy. I found room 1806. My hand tremb
