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A ball of anger forms in my chest "And if I object?"

"I’ll let you choose Do you wantthe ridiculous question that dis, I turn and walk to the door, with every intention of handling E the office, I shut the doors behind er at her desk Jaw set hard, I stride through the office and down the hallway, pausing at the reception desk "Where did Eot on the elevator with Jessica," Kelly replies

The elevator it is I start walking

EMILY

Jessica and I step into the elevator and she punches the lobby level "What’s wrong?" she asks as the doors shut "You sounded panicked when you called"

"I a , but--"

"What did you do?"

The elevator stops only two floors down, and she rolls her eyes "Oh good gosh, not now," she says, as the doors open again, and four people crowd us into a corner

"What did you do?" she whispers

"Not yet," I say

"Right Not yet This is killingthe rest of the ride by silently assuringabout Shane’s reaction

"Finally," Jessica says, as we hit ground level and follow the crowd out of the car

"This way," she says, linking her are, where we exit into the parking lot She releases me "What did you do?"

"Shane ordered et fired so that no one thinks I left because Shane is protecting me"

She blanches "What? Why? What happened to the whole ‘using you’ routine?"

"I don’t know So isat the , open to his enemies"

She holds up her hands "Okay Okay I have to tread cautiously here or Shane is going to hang rees with ," I announce