The elevator dinked, and the doors closed on the two of them. Valerie walked back into her studio, ran her hand along the oak desk, and looked out at the sunrise over the city.

She finally understood that peace doesn’t come from an apology; it comes from the moment you decide to stop paying the price for someone else’s greed. For the first time in a long time, the keys to her life were back in her own hands.

THE END.