I stumble and nearly fall, but I correct my balance at the last second. A pair of strong arms help me to stand and I immediately recognize the person before me. “You have no idea, do you Kayla?” he asks in his deep, rumbling voice. I lower my head in embarrassment. “I am sorry, Father. Please don’t retire me.” “This business is not the kind where we can afford to make mistakes,” he says sternly. “You have deeply disappointed me, Kayla.” “I know that I haven’t been as successful as I usually am. I promise I can turn things around,” I say desperately. “You were one of my brightest stars,” he tells me with a sigh. “I was fonder of you than any of my other children. I believed you could save anyone; they called you an angel.” I cannot lower my head any further, and I am too upset to cry. “Some people truly do not wish to be saved,” I tell him. “I have always tried my very best. Just point me in the direction of the girl I met at the party. I promise I can help her if it’s not too late.”
