Renesmee's P.O.V.

I've got a sick plan, a very sick and desperate plan. Kyra stares up at me from the couch as I finish tying up my sneakers, her eyes full of a sleepy concern.

"Where are you going, Rennie?" Her voice echoes a little through the empty living room. She's been staying with me for a while now, probably hoping her presence would stop me from doing anything crazy. Right now, I just regret telling her I was even looking for jobs.

I don't answer her first question. Instead, I do a final check through my bag. My digital recorder, my backup pen, my tablet, and my notepad are all in there. I also packed my one neatly pressed black dress, a pair of panty hose, and a pair of reduced heels. I zip the bag shut and hang it on my shoulder, letting out a slow sigh and mumbling a quick, silent prayer for this to work.

"Rennie?" Kyra calls again, her voice more insistent this time.

"I have a job interview tomorrow morning," I say, the lie rolling out smoothly, too smoothly. "I just want to be there early, beat the traffic. You know how it is."

"You should be sleeping instead, it's 11pm. I have a makeup gig tomorrow in Manhattan, I'll be up again by 4am anyway. I can wake you up in plenty of time for your interview."

"No, it's fine. Really. I'd rather just go now and find a cafe nearby to wait. Is your gig a bridal party?"

She shakes her head, yawning. "No, just for a baby shower photoshoot. Much more low-key."

"That's great. I'll see you tomorrow then." I force a bright, convincing smile onto my face, hoping it hides any flicker of suspicion.

"See you tomorrow, good luck."

"Thank you!" I say quickly, already rushing out of the room to avoid another question. I step outside into the cool night air, letting out a deep breath I didn't realize I was holding. I hailed a cab that was idling down the street.

"Kensington Sports Management," I tell the driver, the name feeling foreign and heavy on my lips. The man stared at me for a second like I was crazy, asking to go to a closed office building in the middle of the night, but he just shrugged and let me in before speeding off towards downtown.

My plan started forming right after Reggie hung up on me. I had gone on LinkedIn and surfed through the agency's page, feeling utterly hopeless, until I found it. They were running an internship programme for journalists, in partnership with Everest News. A few excited students had shared their acceptance emails online, boasting about their new opportunity. That was my key. I spent hours creating a faux replica of that acceptance letter.

Now, in the back of the cab, I turn on my burner phone. I click on the profile of a random girl named Agnes who had attended the first day of the programme and posted a recap. I type out a message to her.

[Hi, I'm Diane. I recently just got accepted for the KSM X Everest internship programme as well, but I got sick and couldn't come over today. I would really love if you could share with me how your experience was...really. How's the supervisor? Is it really worth the shot?]

Her response doesn't come until the taxi is pulling up to the dark, imposing agency building. She goes on and on about how exciting the experience was and how nice the supervisor is. But my focus locks onto just one sentence in her long message.

[Oh and THE Hayes Kensington stopped by to address us!]

I quickly type back, [That's lovely...] I pause to double-check her name. [That's lovely, Agnes. Hayes Kensington? I really can't wait to see him.]

[The supervisor said he doesn't really come to the agency daily, but hopefully, he'll be here by tomorrow. Not to address us, though. But we could run into him at the elevator. He's usually at work by 9, from what I heard.]

That's all I need to know. Just then, a flashlight beam flickers across my face, blinding me for a second. It's a security guard, and he's exactly who I need to see. I keep my most confused and lost expression on my face as the man approaches me.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" he asks, his voice stern.

I clear my throat, trying to sound timid. "Good evening, Sir. I umm... I'm an intern here." I open my phone and show him my fake registration papers, which he skims through quickly before handing it back to me.

"An intern? Didn't you guys just close up for the day hours ago?"

My eyes drop to his name tag. Carlos. For once, maybe I can use this to my advantage.

"You see, umm...I just came from a university in Mexico," I explain, switching to fluent Spanish and watching his expression shift. "I couldn't get a hotel room nearby, and I was just wondering if I could just sleep here in the lobby. I really don't want to be late tomorrow and I've already missed my first day." I pour on the plight, fishing for as much sympathy as I can. "Please, sir, this city can get scary, especially for a young girl alone at night."

"Just one night?" he asks, his resolve clearly wavering.

"Yes, sir. Just one night, I promise."

He hesitates, then clicks his tongue with a sigh of surrender, finally opening the enormous glass door for me. I follow him inside, my eyes taking in the vast, luxurious exterior of the lobby. He leads me to the back of his security station where a small, spartan staff bunk space is located. After a quick, quiet conversation with a couple of his colleagues, they point me to an empty cot. I don't sleep. I just hug my bag tightly to my chest and stare at the ceiling, refusing to let the comfort of the bed win over my nerves.

My wristwatch beeped softly once it hit 5am. I sprang up from the cot, my body stiff but my mind racing. Carlos, true to his word, offered me a key to a private bathroom down the hall. I just hope this all goes well and I don't end up costing the kind man his job. I swiftly change into the outfit from my bag, brushing out my curls and packing them up into one smooth ponytail after dabbing my face with a little light makeup.

The other overnight security guards weren't at their station when I got out of the bathroom. This was my chance. I made my next move, rushing from the staff area into the main office building lobby, my heart pounding with a mixture of hope, wild thoughts, and silent prayers. I slid through the revolving door and then pulled up a map of the building's floor plan on my phone, which I used to find an elevator that would take me directly to the executive floor where the CEO's office was located.

I could be making a huge mistake. Who knows? This could all blow up in my face. Hayes could just be a bigger jerk than Dalton. I could get arrested for trespassing, for burglary, for whatever crimes I've committed by breaking my way in here. I know the world usually requests money as a solution, not the kind of life-risking commitment I'm making now by forcing the lock on his office door and letting myself in.

I checked the time as I stood there, staring out at the Seattle skyline beginning to lighten with dawn from the incredible view of his floor-to-ceiling windows. 5:40am. Come what may, Hayes Kensington is going to find me waiting in his office when he arrives.