Nadia's Point Of View
The corporate music resumed its dull thrumming through the floorboards as the next board member shuffled onto the stage, but I had stopped listening. The applause died down to a low murmur, the sound washing over me like static. Suddenly, the small leather purse resting against my thigh vibrated with a sharp, frantic bzzzz that sent electricity shooting through my nerves.
I slid my fingers inside, pulling out the glowing screen cautiously, shielding it with my palm. When I saw the sender, my chest tightened with a vicious wave of pure excitement. A slow smile spread across my face, stretching wider than I'd allowed myself in months. My pulse quickened, drumming in my ears like a war march, drowning out the droning voice from the stage.
