Monday came too quickly. Emma adjusted the hem of her cream blouse as she stepped out of the elevator and into the pristine, glittering halls of the Dale foundation.

She had expected to slink into her office unnoticed with maybe a few polite nods from the associates on her floor, the usual half-hearted greetings and the lukewarm coffee that could never beat the coffee at the boardroom.

But no. The second she crossed the threshold, it was like someone had announced her entrance on a ...