"Spire building. Level 14. Midnight. Don't be late."
The number hit her like a slap. Four thousand. Exactly what she owed. Exactly what would make the buzzing stop. debt4k olivia sparkle
The man laughed—a soft, genuine sound. "I was hoping you'd say that." "Spire building
"To offer you a job. One night. Four thousand creds. Flat. No interest. No hidden clauses. Just a clean transaction." Don't be late
"You look like someone who's counting seconds," a voice said.
The rain over Verance City wasn't the cleansing kind. It was the sticky, electric kind—the kind that made neon signs bleed into puddles and turned every back alley into a mirror of regret. Olivia Sparkle knew regret better than most.
Olivia looked down at her hands. Pale. Trembling slightly. The hands of a girl who'd once built an AI that could write poetry. The hands of a girl who now washed coffee cups for tips.