In the end, it took a sedative to finally calm Ca down. Vera sat at the edge of the bed, her mind nk, not knowing what she should do <i>next</i>.


    Her suitcase sat nearby, and the whole hospital room was hushed, broken only by the rhythmic beeping of the monitors.


    “Vera, you should go home. I’ll be fine. Really, go home,”


    Those were the first words Ca spoke when she came <i>to</i><i>. </i>


    Alessia silently handed Vera a tissue.


    “Thank you,” Vera murmured, wiping the tears from the corners of her eyes and sniffing quietly.


    “I can approve your leave,” Alessia said, her expressionposed, without a hint of pity. “You’re good at your job, and honestly, training someone new is a hassle. Thepany’s on the rise, so the most I can give you is one more week. Let me ask you again–do you really want your parents to get divorced and bring your mother here to live with you?”


    Vera nodded. “But as long as my dad is around, my mom will never agree toe with me.”


    That was the heart of it. Her mind had been elsewhere for weeks. If she couldn’t scrape together the money, Hamlin would go after Ca. Before she’d left home, Vera had given Hamlin a thousand dors to keep him quiet for a while, and another five hundred to Peggie next door to help look after her mother.


    “I can put you in touch with awyer,” Alessia went on. “Just tell him what you want, and he’ll handle the rest. As for your mom, I’ll get her set up with a full checkup at the hospital…”


    “Really?” Alessia’s words sparked hope in Vera’s chest.


    10:05


    She had never doubted Alessia’s capabilities–she’d been working for her for months now. If she still didn’t trust her at this point, the problem must be with herself.


    “Yes,” Alessia said. “And I’ll cover all the costs. On top of that, I can offer you a raise.”


    Vera’s eyes lit up.


    Alessia tapped her fingers on the desk. “On one condition: you sign a ten–year contract.”


    “A ten–year contract?”


    “That’s right. If you bail after a year or two, I’ll be back at square one, and I hate unnecessary trouble. But if you stick around and keep improving, hit your targets every period, I’ll make sure your family is taken care of and your mom gets the best treatment. Of course, if you don’t deliver, the contract ends automatically.”


    “Deal! I’ll sign. Ten years, twenty years, whatever you want!” Vera shot to her feet, feeling as if this contract was her lifeline.


    She knew Alessia had connections. This wasn’t a bad deal, not for her–and especially not for her mother.


    And, as it turned out, Vera was right. Thewyers from Libra & Associates moved fast; within three days, they’d gathered the evidence and filed charges against Hamlin. They even used his threats as leverage and managed to have him put behind bars.


    Meanwhile, Vera brought her mother to the city. With Alessia’s help, Ca was admitted to the best hospital around and given a thorough checkup. Over the next year, Ca‘ slowly recovered, with Xander evening in to provide specialized therapy.


    Alessia kept every promise, and Vera never let her down. In just three years, Vera helped grow A&P into a thriving business,nding major ounts one after another. She hadn’t even reached the end of her ten–year contract, yet she was already running her own team and had boosted her sry to over $20,000 a month.


    10:05 )


    To Vera, Alessia was the light that broke through the darkest time of her life. Without her, Vera couldn’t imagine how much longer she could have held on–or how much longer her mother could have endured.


    Fortune might have been clever, that much was true. If he tried to recruit anyone else in thepany, maybe they’d be tempted.


    But not Vera. She would never, ever betray Alessia.