ier medical supply company in Queens. The interviewer was a nice woman with

lomerate," Harp

stable team," sh

e second interview. It was too slow. Too s

"disrupting the paradigm." Harper looked at their balance sheet during the waiting pe

d out of

ont of her mirror. She was wearing her armor: a deep navy suit, tailored

n. She applied lipstick-a shade darker th

like a shard of black glass. It reflected

over her ID. The guard scanned it, his eyebrows raisi

or, Ms.

ide was fast.

e wasn't in a lobby. She

Julian sat behind a desk that looked like a slab of obsidian. He didn't stan

els was the only sound. She sat down, keeping her

a folder

breakdown of the shell companies Mill

. He leaned back, steepled hi

a job,"

an oppor

t? Take do

ably cleans house at NewGen, you have someon

s NewGen now. And I know who you are, Harper. The name

gerous person you could hire. I'm not looking for a paych

lian countered. "Vengeance is mes

he folder. "That's precision. I found in two

ce. He walked until he was standing right next to her chair. He

. She could smell the coffee

clair," he whispered. "You think because I

She turned her head, m

id softly. "I need a battlef

, stretched silence, he searched

roke across his face-sharp, wo

tercom button

ir with NewGen's strategy department. Tell th

reath she didn't k

" she said,

as he walked to the window. "NewGen is a shark tank

harks," H

e," Julia

d she had to lean against the elevator wall as soon as the d

wa