The car left the rush of the day and turned to another street filled with mighty buildings. Eleanor turned behind the glass tower and parked the car at the last free spot. The place was filled with shiny new vehicles representing a very clear status of the people working here. Eleanor ignored stoned legs as she exited the car and went around the building.

The tall glass tower reflecting the life of the city was one of few places Eleanor despised. It wasn't any different from the bricked cage she just came from. Bright walls and wide corridors which supposed to bring more light and freedom just trapped the blind people tighter, replacing the dreams with false futures and hopes. Eleanor passed rows of people, who ignored each other at the same time believing that louder shouting will make them obey. Opened offices revealed modern equipment swallowing the liveliness out of employees, connecting countless mazes of hallways. The elevator suffocated Eleanor with an instant coffee smell and pricy perfumes, finally releasing her on the middle floor.

Fully handed people continued to ignore her and she just responded the same until the wide blurry glass doors greeted her. The confident firm voice reached the hall from meters away, just strengthening Eleanor's unwillingness.

As she entered, two neat suited figures stood in the spacious office, shaking hands like they just have made a successful deal. Eleanor froze in the doorway like catching them in the wrong moment and cold Phillip's gaze just approved. Her presence was clearly unwanted, as the man moved away from the colleague but kept the gaze directly at stepdaughter: his posture was straight, the whole presence containing all the spectrum of emotions but exposing none. A dark suit without a single wrinkle represented an organized yet respectfully fearful man. Within the second she felt her body shrinking as if Phillip's figure grew and removed the air from the room.

"Could you be even later?" dull irritation words mixed with authority rapidly snapped him back to a tall sad man desperately trying to bring people under his feet. "There are a few things I need you to bring home before dinner and I won't be back until then. Someone will come to pick them up," the dull words flew to Eleanor and before she could digest the information the daily portion of stepfather's attention was done.

Tom still awkwardly stood between Philip and Eleanor, uncomfortable gaze jumping from one figure to another. Eleanor has seen him before as a frequent guest in stepfather's office that made him look more like a small secretary.

She held firm Phillip's look carrying all the heaviness and emptiness at the same time. This kind of look was always meant only for her: like he would see a silhouette in the room and acknowledge it, but the steam of hostility made her shrink and go back to empty shell he made her feel. Since he entered the family's sanctuary, it got poisoned with an unreasonable wish for power and when Eleanor refused to obey, all she received was either brief cold phrases or hits of reminding the authority. Eleanor held the colorful marks on her body as a trophy keeping her mothers strength where no one could invade.

Not wanting to give him any pleasure of responding with any kind of message, she walked to the small coffee table where a few cartoon boxes with clipped documents were laying, silently cursing Phillip making her drive all the way here just for some papers.

"Inform Jackson about the bugs in the software. We will lose half of the clients if it continues to break the connection while they still working, " Eleanor gathered the items in her lap, trying to ignore Phillip doing nothing but ordering.

"Of course, sir," Tom learned to obey without hesitation very fast. Probably that was the reason why he was being sent all over the place like a delivery boy.

"And one last thing: I need you to hire me a new secretary for me. The old one got fired just this morning," Phillip snapped as a finish note, turning away and placing himself at the table.

"Most certainly, sir," Tom silently nod after a barely noticeable sign, but all Eleanor saw was a desperate attempt to show dominance. Visible wrinkles of exhauster smiled to her, as Tom friendly nodded to her on his way out. It was such a huge hopeful place filled with so many soulless people, still learning to fight for their own place under the sun. She watched as Phillip sat completely emotionless and yet so eerie. He was always one of those who let the horror out silently and before you knew it his darkness was all over you. Eleanor swallowed the urge to keep silent and just disappear with Tom and took this as a challenge.

"Hire me."

Her silent yet firm voice crossed the room, making Tom stop at the doorway and Phillips's attention came back to the stepdaughter. The space between them became cooler, as her body unconsciously shivered a little, understanding what she just said. The intimidation visibly streaming from calm Phillip tried to make its way through her gates of fear, but Eleanor just pressed the fingertips harder into the carton box she held, attempting not to betray the shaking heart. She held a steady look, as not a muscle moved in stepfather's body but the raising antipathy was flowing straight between her and patiently waiting Tom.

"I'm not doing anything after school anyway," she decided to continue, holding the stare of a silent volcano ready to erupt at any time. "With a part-time opportunity, I would still have time for classes. Besides, you already know me and I could be here basically anytime..."

"Why would I want you here?" the disgust hit her as expected but she didn't flinch. "I have enough of you in the house, I don't need any more of it here. And why would you need more money? I don't provide for you good enough anymore?" he slightly tilted the head pretending to wait for a reasonable answer.

"It is not about the money," Eleanor signed daring to step closer to Phillip. "It's about not rotting inside the house and actually interacting with other people," her tone was rising with each word narrowing Phillips look until it was two thin lines assuring Eleanor she'll regret her words. But as she watched him slowly standing up, she was ready to hold all the heaviness in the air if it meant just a drop of another world. Another fight was coming and even though she wasn't fully ready she was willing to take it.

"And what do you know about being a secretary?" Phillip made his way towards stepdaughter, with whole sophisticated posture breathing like a growing beast. Eleanor felt how boxes in her arms shook from heaviness. "Do you know how to manage databases? How to implement administrative systems? How to liaise with relevant clients and new customers?" with each phrase he was getting closer to her shrinking posture until he became the only one figure in the room leaving her as a small ball of insecurities. "Now stop whining in my office and get your face out of here."

With the last firing look, he turned around making it clear the discussion is over. Eleanor felt how the breathing got heavier as she let out a whimper which was enough for Phillip to rapidly return the gaze at her and hit it hard to the lungs. His dark face changed so fast it removed all the air she had, not leaving any space for objection. Eleanor felt the heavy pressure on her chest from firing Phillip's look, realizing the fight was already over before starting.

"It's time to go," the silent voice behind her appeared closer, putting both hands on her shoulders and slowly dragging her outside Phillip's sight. The stepfather broke the eye contact within the second her body was moved yet the wound his bullet-stare left remained as one more battle shot. Just as the door in front was shut she realized Tom walked her out of the suffocating office and she found themselves back at the half-crowded hallway.

As the hands slid down her shoulders its like the heaviness was finally gone. Eleanor turned around facing a still young face visibly tortured with sleepless nights. It wasn't hard to guess who caused all the exhauster dancing all over him, but the small smile was enough to show he still had some light left inside.

"He is not in the best mood today," Tom briefly squeezed out gifting an apologizing look nodding to step a little further from the office. "With the new customer's data protection law this place is crazier than before. It's affecting everyone," his look shifted to all the people passing them with tension pressing on their shoulders and stress haunting every night. "Including bosses and CEO's."

"Don't defend him," Eleanor frowned in disbelief. "I know what he is doing and it's not only about today. It's about every day him treating others like servants. I live with him, believe I know what I'm talking about," she turned the look to the already opened mouth of Tom for objection. "Just look at yourself. When was the last time when you had a decent sleep? Or an evening without worrying about tomorrow?"

Tom lifted the lip corner up in defense letting a mixture of sign and giggle escape the deep insides of the stolen youth. One could still see flickers of created hope that were ripped day by day, turning a young ridiculously motivated guy into a dark-suited corpse.

"Ok, you got me there," he awkwardly fixed a slightly tilted box in Eleanor's hands leading them both towards the elevator, "but that's not entirely Phillip's fault. I am a little bit of a workaholic myself, it's a way to keep myself occupied. "

"I could use some of that," the regret took the top and her face appeared shadowy.

"Believe me, it's better if you don't work here. You just saw how it turns people inside out and you are not ready for it," Tom playfully winked at Eleanor creating a small smile on her face which was soon gone as she dropped her look down.

"Yeah, maybe you're right," her look shifted to hidden stepfather's dominance marks on the wrists and hid then before Tom spots them.

They both stood at the elevator and she forced herself to throw a small gratitude smile towards Tom, who oddly enough still had the attention fully on her. It was sad how such a motivated figure was brought back to the ground so fast: Eleanor had the pleasure of seeing him as a victim of Phillip's frustration, yet he never complained or even thought about leaving.

"You really want a job?" the sudden question raised her look straight to him, meeting curiosity. "You already have what a person could possibly need, why would you need something extra?"

"If what a person could possibly need means all the material stuff then yes, you are right, probably I have more than enough," her eyebrows met in the middle of the forehead announcing obvious irritation of a thought that a thin sparkling layer defines her," but money plays no role here, even if its the primary purpose of it. It's just..." her mouth was right about to release all her demons but she caught them at the right moment and chained again, "there are lots of people who try to define you by what they see on the outside, not bothering to open the doors and look inside. I don't need a job per se, I just need a space where I could be the owner of my own life and show who I really am and not what others imagine I am. Even simple classes or courses would do it..."

"Well, it could, but an actual job would raise better qualities in you. You could not only interact with people but actually, help and learn from them. In courses you learn only one specific operation, while a job throws you in new experiences and challenges every day," he caught a glimpse of Eleanor's attention that opened two rows of perfect teeth on his lips.

"Come on, I might have something for you."