AMARA'S POV
I stare at Marcus's text until the words blur.
We need to talk. Tonight. Don't make plans.
I'm still locked in the bathroom stall, mascara running, world crumbling.
Three years with Marcus. Three years of promises that we'd figure out my visa together.
Don't make plans.
A knife to the gut.
I splash cold water on my face and walk back to my office. Sophie jumps up the second she sees me.
What happened?
They're giving my cases to Jennifer. My visa expires in thirty days. The firm won't sponsor me. I'm being deported.
Sophie's face goes white. No. There has to be something
In thirty days? There's nothing.
What about Marcus? She stops. Sees my face. What?
I show her the text.
Sophie swears in Spanish. He's breaking up with you. Today.
She's right. I know she's right.
I gave him three years, I whisper.
And he's giving you nothing. Sophie hugs me quickly.
My phone rings. Unknown number.
Ms. Okoye? This is Agent Morrison from Immigration Services. Your H-1B extension has been denied. You have twenty-eight days to depart or secure alternative status. Your employer withdrew your application yesterday.
Yesterday. Before Richard even told me.
Is there anything else I can do?
You could marry a U.S. citizen. Or find a new sponsor, though in twenty-eight days, that's nearly impossible. Good luck.
The line goes dead.
Sophie stares at me.
Twenty-eight days. Richard withdrew it yesterday. Before he even told me.
That bastard
I need to see Marcus. Get this over with. I grab my purse. I'll call you later.
I leave before she can stop me.
The coffee shop is crowded. Marcus sits at a corner table, wearing his navy suit. The one he wears to important meetings. His jaw is set.
He's made his decision.
I sit down. Let's get this over with.
Marcus blinks. You know?
You're breaking up with me. On the worst day of my life. So yes, I know.
He looks ashamed for three seconds. I've been thinking about this for a while. Your situation is complicated. I need someone more stable. More aligned with my career goals.
You mean my visa status.
You're always stressed about cases. I need someone who can focus on building a future with me.
I'm fighting to stay in the country, Marcus.
It's not my responsibility to fix your problems. He stands. Leaves twenty dollars on the table. Coffee's on me. I hope everything works out.
He walks away.
Just like that.
I sit alone in the crowded coffee shop, staring at the twenty-dollar bill. The price Marcus Stone thinks our relationship was worth.
My phone buzzes again. Another text. I almost don't look.
But I do.
And my heart stops.
It's from Kelly. My best friend from law school. The girl who lived in my apartment for six months when she couldn't pay rent. Who I helped pass the bar exam? Who I trusted with everything.
Saw you got let go. Just wanted to say... I start at Hartwell & Associates on Monday. Richard hired me to replace you. I'm sorry it worked out this way, but business is business. Hope you understand.
Kelly.
My best friend.
Taking my job. My cases. Everything I built.
She knew. She's known for weeks, probably. And she said nothing.
I stare at the message, and something inside me breaks. Not the crying kind of break. The dangerous kind. The kind that turns grief into ice.
Everyone I trusted has betrayed me in one day.
Everyone.
I'm about to put my phone away when it buzzes one more time.
Email notification.
From an address I don't recognize: [email protected]
The subject line makes my blood run cold:
RE: Titan Detention Services v. Okoye - Motion to Dismiss
Gabriel Stone.
My enemy. The lawyer who's been trying to destroy my biggest case for months.
What does he want now?
My hands shake as I open the email.
And read three sentences that change everything:
Ms. Okoye,
I'm aware of your current immigration situation. I have a proposition that might interest you. Meet me at my office tonight. 9 PM. Come alone.
-Gabriel Stone
I read it three times.
Gabriel Stone knows about my visa. Somehow, he knows. And he wants to meet. Tonight. At his office.
The man who's spent months trying to crush me in court.
What could he possibly want?
I stare at the email, my heart pounding, every instinct screaming danger.
But I'm drowning. I have nothing left to lose.
And maybe just the devil himself is offering me a lifeline.