The Sins We Inherit

hina'

-no stumbles, no odd changes in her stride, simply smooth, planned movements. She was a bit taller than typical and had jet-black hair

ghtened their backs and lowered their voices as they turned their attention to her. She didn't say anythin

ike the first cold wind of winter. "I'm Elowen Hartclif

hat disconcerting quiet made it seem like she was judging me and seeing through my th

s. "You don't know what you're getting into, Seraphina,"

on the glossy floor. The place seemed to

nd hung in the air like smo

ght up to my desk, but I could see her looking at me from across the room, her eyes locked on me as if she were judging ev

rs, the buzz of the office, and the constant clicking of keyboards tried to br

It was like she was constantly there, watching

s empty and the building felt more like a cemetery than a plac

s strangely nice but still frigid. "But there's more t

don't know what you mean," I re

iercing. "Just... trust your gut, Seraphina. Th

, and I shivered all over. I nodded, but I wasn't

leave when I noticed Elowen again. This time, she wasn't on the other side of the r

, her voice quiet yet fir

for a second, then

her. The building was empty now, and her presence

back at me. "You've already started to find things

ch to say. There were things I hadn't told anyon

p you, but you need to know something. Wrenford Holdings is more than just

my throat was suddenly dr

inches from mine. "The type that makes everythin

hand to stop me. "Stop right there, Seraphina." T

"Why are you t

se, like your father, you'll have to make a choice." B

e, but before she did, she turned back and s

or Cassian." But y

me alone with a thousand ques

ught my eye as I walked to my workplace. A photograph on the wall was partly hidden by some

of a fancy desk in black and white. Their bodies were stiff, and their smiles were w

nging out here at Wrenford Holdings? And more importantly, why was it so carefully place

ys been mysteries connected to my father's name, but now I could practically feel how hea

e was standing at the end of the hallway. She was looking at me with her eyes set on mine. Even though she had

that quiet, we both felt something pass between us, an unsp

ion that she knew stuff I didn't know at the end of the day. She wasn't simply a secretary; she was

stepped into my office without knocking and clutching a hefty letter. She didn't say an

t assignment." "It has to be

f fear rush over me. There was no room for

tioned, my fingertips hovering

entrance, with her back straight and her motions exact

shiver. In the corner was a name I recognized all too well: my father's. There was a lot of legal language

. It was easy to understand what they said: Yo

my mind raced. Elowen's strange warning had just changed into some