Something tightened painfully in James’s chest.
“How did you get here?” he asked gently.
“I took the bus. Mommy showed me. I used my piggy bank money.” She pointed proudly toward the street below. “I ducked under the turnstile. The guard was looking at his phone.”
James crouched to her height. Beneath her bravery, he saw fear. This wasn’t mischief—it was survival.
“Does your mom know you’re here?”
Chloe’s eyes dropped. “No. The ambulance took her. I didn’t want her to worry about money.”
Before he could respond, she marched toward his bookshelf. “Dust hides where nobody looks,” she explained.
He could have called security. Instead, he said softly, “Wait.”
She froze. “Am I fired?”
“No,” he said quickly. “Good employees need snacks. Do you like apple juice?”
Her face lit up.
They sat together on his leather sofa while she devoured juice and cookies meant for high-profile clients. He canceled his morning meetings.
“Mommy says you’re very important,” Chloe added. “That you live in the sky.”
“It gets lonely in the sky,” James murmured.