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But really, all we have is smoke ando?"

She’s quiet again I hear her breathing I swear I can hear the slow, steady beat of her heart The fine little crack I just struck through it with my callous words "I really hate you sometimes, Ryder," she whispers just before she ends the call

I duhthem down until they cover my face

Sometimes, I really hate reat and powerful Oz’s lair Or the gallohere I’ll get my head chopped off, take your pick

The voice for me when I returned to my office after lunch A solo lunch I spent at an extremely crowded hole-in-the-wall sandwich shop I ate a roast beef with Swiss on sourdough at a table so tinyinto it I stared out the , sipping on e Dr Pepper, and watched the people pass by, filled with regret And I never have regret Life throws shit at me and I just move on When opportunity knocks on my door, I take it Run with it

I look at et ahead in this company, so why the hell can’t I run with it?

Because you feel guilty

I’ every fucking , too I want to take care of her, not ruin her I want to spend hts with her, not use her, toss her aside, and move on to my next opportunity

I think the very opportunity I want is a relationship with Violet But I’ve already fucked that up

The voice forme to meet with hi I would be there, then sat in my office until two forty-five, s Forrest Fowler ood

I’ in a plush, oversized chair, watching as the president and CEO of Fleur Cos his best to wrap up what appears to be an extra-long phone call all while sendingit won’t bedeal I have all the time in the world My schedule is slow this afternoon and I’rouchy as hell after the way I treated Violet She didn’t call me, she didn’t text, she didn’t email, and usually she’ll reach out to me somehow Some way I know she’s pissed I wonder if she told her daddy just how pissed she was

If this conversation has anything to do with his daughter, I will lose it Swear to God

He finally hangs up the phone and reaches beneath his desk, hitting some secret button that shuts his office door with a quiet efficiency that only the very wealthy can afford "How are you doing, Ryder?" He se