Chapter 5 5
Blair took Maverick’s small hand as they stepped out of the café and into the fading evening light.
“Phew,” she sighed, ruffling his hair. “What a hectic day, huh?”
Maverick giggled and swung her hand. “Did Miss Odesse shout at you again, Mommy?”
Blair smiled tiredly. “Not today, sweetheart. Miracles do happen.”
By the time they reached home — a small, cluttered room with cracked walls and a single flashing bulb — she could barely feel her feet. She dropped her bag on the chair and sank onto the couch with a deep breath.
Her phone buzzed on the table. She almost ignored it, thinking it was another overdue reminder. But when she saw the sender’s name, she sat up straight.
From: HR — LB Corporation
Subject: Welcome On Board
Her fingers trembled as she opened it.
Dear Miss Rivers,
We’re pleased to inform you that your services have been requested personally by the CEO of LB Corporation. You may begin tomorrow at 8 a.m. sharp.
Congratulations.
Blair stared at the screen for a long moment before a smile broke through her exhaustion.
“A cup of coffee did the magic,” she whispered smiling .
“Let me put you to sleep,” Blair whispered, brushing Maverick’s curls away from his forehead.
He yawned, tiny arms wrapping around her neck. “Sing the soft song, Mommy,” he mumbled sleepily.
She smiled faintly and hummed a few lines of the lullaby her mother used to sing — the one that always made her heart ache. Before long, his breathing evened out against her arm.
“Goodnight, my little miracle,” she whispered, pressing a kiss to his forehead.
Once he was asleep, she tucked the blanket around him and sat quietly on the edge of the bed.
Her eyes drifted to the small wooden nightstand — to the old, worn photograph she kept there.
She picked it up with trembling fingers. Her mother’s fake smile stared back at her — and beside her, Olivia, the only friend who’d ever stayed by her side… until she didn’t.
Tears gathered in Blair’s eyes. “I wish you were both here,” she said softly, voice breaking. “Mom… you’d be happy, right? I finally got a better job. I’m not… useless anymore.”
A small, bitter laugh escaped her lips. “And Olivia… maybe you’d even brag to your friends that I made it out of the slums.”
Blair leaned back on the pillow beside him, the photograph still in her hand. Her eyes fluttered shut — and within minutes, exhaustion pulled her into sleep.
The morning sun slipped through the thin curtains, landing softly across Blair’s face.
For a moment, she just lay there — listening to Maverick’s sleepy murmurs beside her, the sound of traffic outside, Then it hit her.
“I’ve got a job,” she whispered, smiling to herself.
She turned to watch Maverick roll over and clutch his tiny pillow. Her heart swelled. “And you, little man,” she murmured, brushing his cheek, “are finally going to nursery.”
It had taken weeks of saving, scraping, and Mrs. Odesse’s small retirement compensation to make it happen. But now, she could afford his first term — even if just barely.
She stood, pulling on her worn sweater, her reflection in the cracked mirror catching her smile.
“New day, new start,” she said under her breath, tying her hair into a neat ponytail.
After dropping Maverick off at the small nursery down the street, Blair stood outside the gate for a moment, watching him wave through the glass window.
“Be good, okay?” she mouthed. He grinned and blew her a kiss before turning back to his crayons.
She smiled faintly and turned away, tightening her scarf as she walked toward the bus stop.
By the time she reached LB Corporation, her stomach was twisting with nerves. The building loomed ahead — Everything about it screamed money.
She paused at the entrance, staring up at the golden letters across the doors. LB Corporation.
Her fingers brushed the hem of her worn jacket. “Never been around this kind of luxury in five years,” she whispered to herself. “Should’ve worn something better.”
She caught her reflection in the glass — a plain shirt, faded jeans, and the old shoes she’d promised herself to replace months ago.
But she straightened her shoulders anyway. “It’s just a job, Blair,” she muttered under her breath. “Make the coffee, smile, and leave.”
Taking a deep breath, she pushed the glass door open and stepped inside.
As Blair waited by the reception desk, a few employees passed by, their whispers sharp enough to sting.
“Must be nice,” one muttered.
“Special delivery girl for the boss? Yeah, right,” another added under their breath.
Blair pretended not to hear, clutching the delivery tray tighter. Her palms were damp. Just ignore them, she told herself. You’re here for work, nothing else.
Then, suddenly —
A deep, commanding voice echoed from the hallway — smooth, calm, and threaded with authority. “Handle the investors. I’ll be up in five.”
The gossip stopped immediately. Everyone straightened. The CEO’s presence was enough to silence the entire floor.
Blair froze. Her breath caught in her throat. That voice—
It rolled through her like a shiver, familiar in a way that made her heart race and her stomach twist.
She didn’t even have to see him to know. Something deep inside her recognized it — a voice from a night she had spent years trying to forget —“Good girl” he had said pulling her chin up to face his gaze.
The elevator doors slid open behind her, and she glanced over her shoulder just as a tall man in a dark suit stepped in, his back turned to her, phone pressed to his ear.
Her fingers trembled
She blinked hard, shaking off the haze, forcing her mind back to reality. Don’t be ridiculous, Blair. Get a grip.
Just then, a young secretary approached.
“Miss Rivers?”
Blair turned quickly, almost grateful for the distraction. “Yes?”
“The CEO would like to see you in his office,” the woman said politely. “Now, please.”
Blair’s heart skipped. She nodded slowly. “Of course.”
As she followed the secretary toward the elevator — the same one he’d just taken — her pulse thudded in her ears.