Competing thoughts warred in my head as I stared in shock at the woman who had laughingly blown off the idea of us meeting in real life—as if my social status was so far beneath hers that there was no chance of us ever running into each other. I hadn't stopped dreaming about B1rdseye, hadn't stopped hoping I'd see her in ASR. But she had cut the cord between us without a backward glance, and I had to admit that it stung my ego. I didn't usually get so attached.

There were more pressing concerns on the table for me now, however. Despite having turned down Ada Fletcher's initial offer, I had been woken up this morning by a pounding at my door and a very aggressive emissary requesting my attendance at a meeting at the private home of Mrs. Zara Fletcher. No advance warning. No time to renege.

Dressed and dragged halfway across the globe to a private island near Hawaii, I couldn't believe that I was standing in the home of the richest person on the planet. There was something about being unable to exert my natural sovereignty as a human being that was unsettling. It didn't feel like any one person should have that much power. Yet, here we were.

One thing on my mind was that Wren's prediction would have been accurate if the world had been a logical, sane place, but reality didn't work according to the nonsensical social rules we made up. It was much more arbitrary and coincidental.

The other thing I was thinking was that I truly didn't want the job. I was certain whatever dollar amount they tagged to this opportunity would be enough to change my whole life, but Zara Fletcher had made it clear when she reached out to me that this was a temporary offer.

What I had going on in the North Seas was a sure bet, and I couldn't afford to chase pipe dreams, no matter how pretty the wrapping. (My eyes scanned the two women opposing me.) Besides, I couldn't leave Remy to face his first season out alone. As much as I wanted to see him as a young adult, every time I looked at him, I saw the rambunctious kid he had been. I couldn't fathom my nephew going up against the loveless sea without me.

Zara Fletcher's expression went blank when she heard me say I couldn't take the job. She lifted an eyebrow and shrugged. "I'm not the kind of woman you turn down," she said. "Name your price."

A smile cracked my lips. "I'm not the kind of man who can be bought."

"Everybody's got a number," Zara scoffed.

Ada Fletcher huffed and shook her head. "Mother now is not the time or the place. We have a visitor. You remember Wren, don't you?" With a forced, but welcoming smile, she drew attention to the blonde waiting to be acknowledged. I refused to say hello. Wren, was it? She had already put me in my place once, and I wanted to make damn sure she would never get the chance to do that again.

"Hi, Mrs. Fletcher." Wren reached out a hand for a handshake.

I could tell the moment Zara recognized her because she clasped her hands together with a giant grin and rushed forward to hug her. "Wren! Little Wren! Oh my goodness, let me see you! How are you, darling? Ada-Beta, why didn't you tell me she was coming?"

"Well, you've been a bit preoccupied with work matters, and I didn't want to disturb you. Wren and I are going out for dinner." Ada ignored me.

I wanted to go home. I hated the ultra-modern house, the well-dressed, stuck-up servants, the obscenity of wealth on display while half the world scrambled to survive on a dying earth. These people were too comfortable to care what was happening to the rest of us. 'Everybody's got a number' my ass, I thought.

I had a comfortable salary. But I had a family and people I cared about who were still struggling. The thing about class was that it took more than money to go up in the world. I had learned a long time ago that being born into a certain level of financial stability made it difficult to understand what was happening on the other side of the income divide.

When guys like me scored a good paying job, they had whole communities to support. So, while on paper, I was probably making about what that snooty Wren Kennaway was pulling in, our lived experiences were leagues apart. There wasn't remotely any comparison between my life and the Fletchers'.

I settled for a modest one-bedroom in a crumbling, overcrowded apartment complex. While I drove a beat-up, old hydrogen hovercar, most people with my income traded in for the latest nuclear-fission charging electric vehicles. They were a remodel of the electric relics from the past that had required several hours of charging.

But what I lacked in convenience, I gained in knowing that my twin sister and her family could thrive in an economy where the government had long since given up on the middle and working classes. And I was setting up my nephew to add to the generational wealth by not being afraid to work hard, despite dangerous conditions. It wasn't ideal, but it was, like I had told Ada upon our first meeting, honest work.

I stood there stoically as the happy reunion took place in front of me. Zara Fletcher—a woman I had never even dreamed of being in the same room with—peppered Wren with questions that made her blush and beam at being the center of attention. Ada stood back with her hands clasped, looking anxious to grab her friend and go.

Unfortunately, Zara Fletcher wasn't done with me. When she completed her duties as hostess, she returned to bartering. "I'm serious, Mr. De Bellis. I won't take no for an answer. This is my daughter's safety we're talking about. I'm certain you understand how important it is to me that she is taken care of. You have loved ones, don't you?"

I bristled at the actual sound of inquiry in her voice as if someone like me must inherently be alone and adrift in the world. Did not having as much money as her really make me seem like such an alien?

"In fact," I crossed my arms tighter, "that's precisely why I can't take the job. I do have people I care about. A nephew, for example, who'll be starting his first season on the North Seas this year, and he'll need me there to help show him the ropes."

She glanced at a staff member who seemed to read her mind and suddenly left the room, returning moments later with a mobile device. Zara lifted a finger for the rest of us to wait while she consulted whatever was on the tablet. "Ah, yes, Remington Pollack, your twin sister's son. Hmm... I see here he had good marks in high school and was accepted to an Ivy League!" She stared at me in surprise.

I felt a burst of pride tempered by regret. "He did, but it was–what's the phrase? Cost prohibitive for him to attend. Despite his academic prowess, he didn't qualify for enough financial aid. So I secured him a job."

"Done and done." She smiled.

I dropped my arms and studied her from the corner of my eye. "Wh-what's done?"

"I just established a scholarship for him. Should his grades remain good, he can retain it for the entirety of his schooling, including postgrad, if he desires. What else?" My jaw dropped. Zara Fletcher's smug grin broadened. "I told you, everybody's got a number. Shall we move your sister's family out of that abominable neighborhood? I think her younger girls would benefit from better public schools in a different area. Or would you prefer private schools?"

"Mother," Ada groaned.

"I can't imagine you'd object," Zara smirked. "And you can't turn him down now, Ada-Beta. Think what having a stent on your security team would do for his resume."

Ada quirked her lips but seemed to consider it. Regardless of her personal desire to not have her mother meddling in her affairs, which I understood, she seemed hard-pressed to snatch away the silver platter of the answer to all my prayers that Zara was holding out to me.

I didn't know what to say. Even Wren's eyes were the size of saucers as they flew from Zara Fletcher's face to mine. I swallowed thickly.

"What if I still say no?" I pressed.

"Greedy, greedy. I like it," Zara chuckled. "I like you, Mr. De Bellis. So, fine. We'll add on a contract for five years of guaranteed security work, even if you don't remain on Ada's personal security team after this little matter with The Remnant is squared away. Full benefits, including company accommodations near her estate. Obviously, since this is your first run at this, I can't promote you to the top position, but I can mandate that you are her primary security go-to guy. How's that? Money, status, stability for yourself and the people you care about. What more could anyone want?"

"Life insurance," I blurted out.

I had a hunch that this much generosity and concern for her daughter's well-being wasn't coming from a place of "normal" security concerns. There was something Zara Fletcher wasn't telling me about this job, something that was probably life or death, and I needed all bases covered.

She nodded at me as if my add-on engendered more respect from her. Lifting her tablet, she signed off on a few more things and then reached out a hand to shake mine. "Done. Welcome aboard, Mr. De Bellis. You'll spend today learning what's required of you with the head of Ada's security detail."

"Will that be all you need from me, Mother,?" Ada asked with a hint of resignation.

"Of course, dear. Enjoy your date with your friend. I want to hear all about it when the two of you get back."

"Oh, I was going to fly her right home, Mom. We don't know what Wren's schedule is—"

"Actually," Wren cut in, "I'm free."

"Excellent! I'd love to catch up, Wren! I'll put on some shuku shuku for old time's sake," said Zara.

Wren caught my eye. Was that a smile of interest or contrition? I couldn't tell, and frankly, I didn't care. My heart thundered in my chest at how rapidly, how radically my life had been changed with the swipe of a stylus. My fears about the job dissipated, replaced by visions of how Meredith was going to react when I told her the news.

As I processed it, a weight that I hadn't realized was bearing down on my shoulders lifted. The prospect of Remy having to go offshore had filled me with dread from the start. It had loomed over me like a dark cloud, casting a pall over my thoughts. But now, it was as if a bad dream had been washed away by the golden rays of the sunrise. I couldn't believe my luck. It felt as if a tremendous burden had been lifted from my heart.

As I stood there, basking in the newfound sense of financial freedom, I couldn't help but think about the resilience of the human spirit. And in those moments when things seemed darkest, it was often the smallest of blessings that could make all the difference. Even if the woman I was working for didn't seem to want me.