(Lena)
I was halfway through reviewing a vendor invoice when Cora appeared at my office door. She didn’t step inside right away, and that made me stop reading before she said a word. Cora didn’t hesitate over samples or delivery problems. If she looked careful, then whatever waited outside my office was not work.
“Your father is here,” she said.
I looked at her for a second, not because I hadn’t heard her, but because it didn’t fit the morning I had planned. Dad didn’t come to my office without calling first. He didn’t interrupt my workday unless something had happened. After everything with Brad, I already knew this had weight behind it.
“My father?” I asked.
“Yes,” Cora said. “He’s in reception.”
I set the invoice down and sat back in my chair. My first thought was that something h
