Ruby's POV

The following afternoon, the tension in the office reached its breaking point.

John had called an emergency meeting. Everyone, from senior managers to interns packed into the glass conference room. The air was thick, heavy with hostility. Half the faces belonged to those who sided with him; the rest stayed quiet, afraid to be seen choosing mine.

I walked in clutching my files against my chest. My pulse stayed steady, but my hands were cold. John sat at the head of the table, ...