Chapter 2: The Coordinates of Change
The next morning, the diner was a ghost town of clinking porcelain and stale coffee. My manager, a man who viewed human beings as disposable assets, cornered me by the walk-in freezer.
"You were late, you're unfocused, and I heard rumors about you in a black SUV last night," he sneered, pointing a finger at my chest. "You’re done, Parker. Clear out your locker."
I didn't argue. I didn't beg for my job. For the first time in my life, the crushing weight of "survival" felt like a shadow that was finally retreating. I walked out of the diner, the smell of grease finally leaving my clothes, and looked at the coordinates on the card.
I didn't know what I expected—maybe a mansion, maybe a corporate office. What I found was a private terminal at O'Hare, where a sleek, unmarked Gulfstream waited on the tarmac.
Daniel Brooks was standing on the steps, his coat removed, sleeves rolled up. He looked less like a corporate titan and more like a man who had spent the night fighting demons.
"You’re late," he said, holding out a hand to help me up the stairs.
"I had to get fired first," I muttered.
"Consider it a promotion," he replied.
Inside, the cabin was a masterpiece of mahogany and leather. Ethan was there, too, looking rested, a cup of tea in his hands. When he saw me, he stood up, his face breaking into a genuine, if tired, smile.
"Chloe," he said. "You came."
"I didn't have much else to do," I said, trying to deflect the intensity in the room.
"We’re going to Vermont," Daniel said, sitting across from us. "My mother’s estate. It’s the only place Ethan can properly grieve. And I’ve realized... the people he surrounds himself with are usually looking for a payout. You’re the first person who saw him as a brother instead of a brand."
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"What does that mean for me?" I asked, feeling the air in the cabin grow thin.
"It means," Daniel said, his voice dropping into that dangerous, smooth tone, "that you’re going to be a guest. And while you’re there, I’m going to find out exactly why you were the one to pull him from the street."
