Ava stood outside his building for a long time before she finally went in.

She didn’t know what she was doing, she had no plan, no script, no expectations. Her hand hovered over the call button for nearly a full minute, heart thudding like a warning. Then she pressed it.

The front desk staff still recognized her.

They didn’t ask questions.

The elevator ride felt too fast and too slow at the same time. When the doors opened on the top floor, Ava stepped into the quiet hallway and stared at the familiar door.

It looked the same.

But everything inside her had changed.

She hesitated only once before lifting...