The Midnight Rendezvous​

Bianca White strode into Notes at Midnight exactly ten minutes late—which, knowing her friends, meant they were already halfway through their first round of cocktails. The jazz bar's dim lighting cast golden pools across the dark wood floors, the low hum of conversation punctuated by the occasional burst of laughter.

As soon as she stepped inside, heads turned.

Her Louboutin stilettos clicked against the hardwood, the emerald silk of her wrap dress hugging every curve as she moved with the effortless confidence of someone who knew she was being watched—and didn’t particularly care. A few men at the bar glanced her way, but Bianca’s attention was fixed on the booth in the corner, where Daisy Reynolds was already waving her over with the enthusiasm of a golden retriever spotting its favorite human.

"Finally!" Daisy practically yanked her into the seat, her dark curls bouncing. Even Sophie Wen, usually the quiet one, cracked a rare smile.

The three had been inseparable since law school, though their careers had taken them in wildly different directions. Bianca had gone into private practice at Dawnlight Law Firm, Daisy into HR at Vertex Technologies, and Sophie into corporate law at the same company.

They fell into easy conversation, catching up on everything from office gossip to disastrous dating escapades—until Daisy abruptly slammed her cocktail down, eyes wide with revelation.

"Wait. Why did you leave the B-city branch? You were killing it there!"

Bianca took a slow sip of her gin fizz, the lie already forming on her lips. "I missed Aurora."

The truth was far less glamorous.

Three years ago, her mentor, Lin Hui, had "promoted" her to B-city to clean up a messy merger—a glorified exile disguised as career advancement. She’d built her practice from scratch, clawing her way into the local legal scene through sheer force of will, only to be recalled with all the warmth of a corporate restructuring email.