the sleep from its eyes w

oardroom battles had trained his body to

second floor. From here, the world below looked like a circuit board-bridges, headlights, and

o exactly thirty-eight degrees. Suit tailored so sharply it could cut gla

et. Asian markets stable. A rival conglomerate quietly buying shares of a

The wedding three weeks ago had

verage. Aria Carter was part of the paperwork a calm, intelligent

No expecta

. Evelyn Grant, his personal as

Board meets at nine. I'll hav

e at eight. Have the

xactly how he liked

ared one he ignored f

umber: "B

t. Model, socialite, occasional investor, and his longest-running bad habit. He slid the pho

y. His driver, Peter, opened the car door with a brisk nod. Damian se

d him. Billboards flickered to life. Delivery trucks rattled across bridges. Pede

tached calm. The world moved fa

ifferent from the merger he was about to secure. And like every

ced at the horizon, where the first strip

. Another b

a tower of glass and steel that cut into the morning sky. Even from the

recision. Damian emerged without a word. A gust of cool, condi

floors reflected the silver light of the hanging LEDs. Everyone noticed him. They always

changed. He wore autho

a security officer said, ba

elevator. Only a handful of people in the company had clea

screens glowing with early market data. Analysts whispered updates to one another, eyes da

n Grant said as she interce

atly under one arm Evelyn was the definition of comp

?" Damia

s. Legal is finalizing the acquisition terms for Vanguard Tech. You have a board meeting

ith Vanguard's

e. We've prepare

s they walked. "Push the count

tapped a quick n

Evelyn set the morning espresso on his desk before he even asked. It

phone. She glanced at the screen

amian said with

," she replied. "No appointmen

n closed the folder wit

aintest pause before she turned to relay the message. Evelyn knew Selene's

city sprawled beneath him, a living map of power and possibili

f that picture. Not in

before the board meeting, and apparently a

flinch. He