Chapter 206 The Landlord & Struggling Tenant1 The Knock

• Elena Voss stood in the middle of her small apartment, staring at the calendar on the wall. Red circles marked every unpaid rent day. Three months, three month of rent in debt. Her hands shook as she counted the few bills left in her purse. It was barely enough for food, let alone the $1,200 she owed. She had lost her waitressing job two months ago when the café shut down. Since then, she had been surviving on small freelance gigs and selling whatever she could.
• She was twenty-four and had come to the city full of dreams of becoming a graphic designer. Now those dreams felt distant and foolish. She looked at herself in the cracked mirror. Her long brown hair was pulled into a messy bun, and her simple t-shirt and leggings showed how much weight stress had taken from her. She was still beautiful though with soft curves, bright hazel eyes, and full lips but right now she felt completely lost.
• A loud knock on the door made her jump.