After several phone conversations, Jake was finally allowed to meet Vanessa at her “office.” As he approached the nondescript brick building, his nerves tingled with excitement. He pulled out the crumpled piece of paper from his pocket and double-checked the address. This was it, he was at the right location. The building stood tall and imposing, its dark bricks seeming to absorb all light around it. Every fiber of his be...

Jake timed it so that he knocked on Vanessa’s door at 4:45 precisely, just as instructed. Vanessa’s voice, firm yet inviting, called out from behind the door, "Come in." Jake opened the door and stepped inside, his heart pounding in his chest. Vanessa sat behind her large mahogany desk, her posture impeccable, her head down. "Close the door," she instructed without looking up from the papers she was perusing. Jake obeyed,...