Chapter 12 - A New Normal
Three months later, the 42nd floor of the glass-and-steel monolith felt entirely different. The suffocating terror was gone, replaced by an efficient, well-run corporate syndicate that operated like a legitimate Fortune 500 company.
Dante Marino sat behind his reclaimed walnut desk, sipping a cup of coffee that wasn't terrible breakroom sludge. Through the floor-to-ceiling glass windows, the Chicago skyline looked bright and clear against the autumn morning sun.
The intercom buzzed softly, and Dante pressed the button with a small smile playing on his lips. "Yes, Emily?"
"The quarterly audit is complete, Mr. Marino," her crisp, professional voice came through the speaker. "And your eleven o'clock appointment with the new architectural firm is waiting in reception."
"Send them in," Dante replied, standing up and straightening his tie.
As the heavy oak doors opened, Emily walked in carrying a fresh stack of folders and her trusty staple gun. She paused, looking at him with a familiar, exhausted expression that made a genuine laugh bubble up in his chest.
"What?" she asked defensively, adjusting her reading glasses. "Do I have ink on my face again?"
"No," Dante smiled, stepping around the desk to take the folders from her hands. "I was just thinking that I should probably give you a raise."
May you like
"You already tripled it last month," Emily reminded him, though a tiny hint of a smile touched her lips. "And I expect dental coverage included in the next contract negotiation."
"Done," Dante said, his dark eyes sparkling with a life he thought he had lost forever. "Now let's go audit some architects."
