Cass leaned against the cold wall of her room, staring out at the garden below, bare branches casting twisted shadows across the snow-dusted ground. She'd lost track of time in this sprawling, gilded cage, confined within walls that were as beautiful as they were oppressive. The hours dragged on, each one thicker and heavier than the last, suffocating in their monotony.
In summary, she was bored out of her frickin' mind.
By the time evening rolled around, a restless frustration gnawed at her, spurring her toward defiance. She needed to do something—anything—that would take her mind off the cycle of wake and escape it was in.
Her feet moved on their own, padding softly down the carpeted hallways, past darkened rooms and rows of locked doors, until she found herself on the third floor, standing outside his office, her hand hovering just above the door handle.
