esk in the middle of the chaotic bullpen. Phones

ter. Her fingers rested

ht to Hayden's desk and dropped a heavy, encrypted silver flash

r said coldly. "I need a fro

gged it into the USB port and clicked ope

caught in

stom black tuxedo, sitting at a private table in Le Bernardin. Across from him sat B

e headline read: Forbes and Blake Empir

al hand had reached into her chest and crush

ers leaned over their cubi

whispered. "That's a multi-bil

r, forcing the oxygen deep into her burning lungs. He i

ain vanished, replaced by

ent. Her fingers hit the

the merger. She analyzed the anti-monopoly risks, the aggressive stock buybacks the Blake family h

ce congratulating the couple on their "highly

hit

her office. She held a ceramic coffee mug

," Elean

e floor w

ournalism I've read all year," Eleanor said, her voice ca

porters. They stared at the new girl in

iews were climbing by the thousands every minute

leaned her back against the cool tile wall. She poured a cup of ice

broke her into a paycheck. The paralyzing

of the building. The Manhattan sky was dark,

vibrated violently

ingtone. The one she had a

phone out. The screen flashed brig

een the

ed over the green accept button. Slowly, the corner

ate in her palm, vibrating against her skin