Severing Ties

As the sleek glass doors of the downtown game studio parted, Aria stepped off the elevator and walked straight into a wall of panic. The usual hum of clicking keyboards and casual developer chatter had been replaced by hushed, frantic whispers and the shrill ringing of unanswered desk phones. Her assistant, Valeria Mercer, intercepted her before she could even take a breath. Valeria held a tablet