SHE WAS ABOUT TO BE FIRED FOR HELPING A FALLEN OLD MAN — THEN THE CEO WALKED IN AND CALLED HIM “DAD.” The marble lobby of Thompson Tower gleamed like ice, every inch polished to perfection, every heartbeat synchronized to the rhythm of corporate ambition. Emily Carter stood near the back, clutching a leather portfolio so tightly her knuckles had turned white. This interview was her shot — the one that could dig her out of student debt and into a real life. Ten minutes. Just ten more minutes. The