na'

od what his uncle did

echoed in my head lon

ne, my heartbeat r

d Blac

w the

e most influential men in New York's financial world. His face had appeared in count

cted him directly to

l to

the num

have dialled

cou

ied

th

you?" I w

waited five ye

and searched for

ph appeared

confident smile that suggested he had

ograph was a r

RMAN DENIES INVOLVEMENT IN

lic

ssed allegations involving Meridian Capital, descri

ach tig

ian C

hat had acquired m

lled f

ph caught m

several acquisitions completed during

years

r seve

ds wen

t proof of

ake me question everyt

he old folder containing documen

files because they reminded me

xamined them

s mem

vide

morning, I had slept

noticed im

ok exha

chen, waiting for

g ni

rki

earc

me a know

wood G

odd

fully arranging cereal pieces into

is one is

d up a

pressive

one is h

smaller spoo

r glance

ded not

"finish your breakfast before

gig

tea and sat

o school today,

g. I'm goin

ave frien

es

ave a bes

ie So

ed appr

body needs a

mil

as r

ad needed mine

at my office to f

d up he

pted the

morn

le

I acce

d her eye

new

turing me, something

t her a

bout the ano

ed, her expression h

rd Bla

at the cal

cord the co

sn't expe

save th

it's una

folded

omeone trying to

kno

re you into making accus

w that

tudie

at's you

horised the Merid

it was R

find o

ned agains

omise me s

ha

an anonymous accusation

odd

was

epted accusations against my f

o repeat th

temporary office space for my

ewing the company's crisi

essional, and surprisi

summaries today," he explained. "The forensic ac

ridian

glanced

abou

ary appears in several

do

acquisition activi

pau

specific

g a specific i

ile touche

r en

ed a do

aw several major acquisi

se qui

art Financia

ooked up

bout that a

owned the

le

slowly close

na H

d his

's my

sional surname, but I hadn't

t change

why you're

affect my

otential conflict and establish s

didn't pretend the i

ree

ed me for an

knows who

es

he understand

humourl

ands his ve

ould respond, s

der en

body betrayed me with an u

lue suit, his ex

he acquisition re

n bli

ly what we're

's gaze m

le

Black

ightened i

an s

al. You two should review

fore I cou

ai

ted until the

ed your a

happens when someon

h almost

mo

you taking t

use your compa

derst

oo

a folder o

cquisition recor

ened

ames appeared acr

apital was

e signature a

d Blac

oked

orised the Merid

nder

ised that

the acquisition of Ha

ression

e you a

o understand the

le

the qu

exh

oversaw that

ing tighten i

you k

quired distressed assets c

ose assets belon

transaction

red a

conve

es dar

ing you t

d me your name w

linc

all, but

as diff

s i

e I wanted one evening without people

sed to appreciat

N

ice so

d have t

I didn't kno

defending himself, dismissing my fee

d for him to adm

didn't erase

back to t

somethi

wai

eenth. What hap

der fr

year

es

hy

appears repeated

ered the

ergency acquisition me

eath

rgency

supposed to attend, but I was d

Financial

n't k

don't

t presen

udie

me, his confusio

he minutes fro

nder

reques

al transaction

l have

rd the door,

's something

iffe

is abou

out your

nt s

nder

why he refused to cooperate wi

red a

you talk

der fr

aw, your father declined seve

s impo

le

tors to hear his side. I wa

expression s

gave me fals

settled

ved Alexander knew exactly

asn't s

g, I called

d on the f

, swee

d to ask yo

cour

ctober seventeenth

le

him take a

asking abou

orking with Bl

ence de

uietly, "you need

began p

happened

answer i

, his voice sounded o

. Someone wanted to meet me abo

ho

rd Bla

ped th

ou mee

es

did he

her he

e words that cha

o keep quiet. And when I refused, he