Chapter Twenty Three.

I enter the Burak Legacys Building with two minutes to spare. I stroll through the foyer to the bank of elevators in a fog of bad thoughts. Some days I feel like I'm punching under my body weight.

Frequently, who or what remains debatable.

I wait for the elevator car to descend to my level and for the doors to slide open.

But, today I have a name and a face. Trent Esposito.

This man drives me insane with agony. He causes my blood to boil as if it were lava coursing through my veins, and my heart to turn black, resembling a shrivelled up prune.

I get inside the elevator car and punch the level eight button, watching as the doors slide shut.

This morning's beautiful nightmare is still too raw. My tongue is stained with a metallic flavour. My ears still ring with the agonising sound of crushing bones, and the sensation of sinking into a black hole still caresses my senses.

As I open my purse and take out a chocolate bar, I grumble