Chapter 1 - The Confession
Victoria studied his face for a long, silent moment.
She did not laugh at his hesitation.
Instead, she carefully closed her expensive leather tote.
"I am very familiar with Bennett Technologies," she said softly.
Daniel felt a cold knot form in his stomach.
He nervously adjusted the frayed collar of his only suit.
"Do you work there?" he asked.
Victoria smiled, but it was a guarded, calculated expression.
"I am the Chief Executive Officer."
Daniel stopped breathing.
The woman sitting next to him in economy class was Victoria Bennett.
He had just complained about his finances to the person who controlled his future.
"I apologize," Daniel stammered.
"There is no need to apologize for honesty," Victoria replied.
The plane touched down with a heavy thud, interrupting their conversation.
Passengers immediately stood up, crowding the narrow aisle.
Daniel grabbed his battered backpack and his thin presentation folder.
He needed to make a perfect impression at the corporate headquarters in two hours.
He followed the crowd toward the baggage claim to retrieve his single checked suitcase.
The carousel hummed to life, spitting out luggage.
Daniel waited for twenty minutes, but his worn black suitcase never appeared.
Panic began to claw at his throat.
His reference letters, his backup laptop, and his original certifications were in that bag.
Suddenly, he spotted a man in a grey suit walking quickly toward the exit.
The man was carrying Daniel’s distinctive suitcase.
"Hey!" Daniel shouted, abandoning his spot and running through the crowd.
The man in the grey suit stopped at the automatic sliding doors.
May you like
He slowly turned around and smiled directly at Daniel.
Then, the man casually tossed the suitcase down a restricted security disposal chute and disappeared into the street.
