Legal Temptations

Misha Cross ran a fat-cat law firm with a twist nobody told Barbie about on day one. She offered the young go-getter a sweet gig, fancy title, the works, and Barbie jumped at it—hungry, cocky, green as a new dollar. What Barbie missed was the smell of brimstone under Misha’s perfume; somewhere along the way her boss had signed on with the kind of client that wouldn’t show up in the Rolodex. By her side lurked Alyssa Bounty, devil-sent, legs for days, and tasked with one extra job: get Barbie hot, bothered, and loyal enough to stay for good. Barbie started knocking out wins like clockwork, racking up billables while her conscience collected dust. Every victory clashed with some moral speed bump she tried to ignore. Misha kept the pressure on—win or walk—so Barbie shoved the queasy feelings down until they bubbled over. Finally she stormed into Misha’s glass-and-steel corner office, jaw tight, demanding the real story. Misha smiled like a cat with canary feathers between its teeth. She laid it out plain: the firm wasn’t just tough, it was tethered to something darker, and Barbie could keep riding the money train or punch out. No third option. The choice landed in Barbie’s lap like a live coal—stay, thrive, and let the shadows swallow whatever was left of her scruples, or bolt before the door sealed shut for good.