By the time the staff broke through the reporters' blockade and reached the source of the fire, it was obvious that neither of them could be saved.
Charred limbs curled amid the flames. A large hole had burned through the red carpet covering the tiled floor, and under countless camera flashes, the smoky, grimy scene looked even uglier.
After confirming up close that this was not an illusion or some new kind of prank, the blonde middle-aged manager felt as though she had plunged into an icy abyss.
Though she wore an expensive custom-made suit, she felt as if she were standing bare-chested amid the frozen snowfields of the Arctic, without the slightest warmth or sense of security.
She now felt that the way people looked at her had changed. They were looking at prey.
The reporters wanted to pry more news out of her, her colleagues coveted her position as manager, and the other superheroes seemed to be considering how to kill her to please the company.
No, she could not give up like this. She knew too much. Once she lost her value, the company would silence her. She had to find a way to salvage today's disaster!
The best approach was to make use of Homelander's attachment to her. If he was willing to speak up for her, the Board of Directors would definitely reconsider.
If that failed, she could have him take her out of the United States. They could take the money and live somewhere else. Across the ocean would be nice; the company's reach could not extend that far.
With that in mind, she immediately turned back and prepared to return to the lounge. She regarded Homelander as her final lifeline and was certain that the deranged child would obey her every word.
However,