Ethan Sanders sat at the wooden dining table in a charcoal sweater and dark trousers. A white ceramic teapot rested before him on a carved coaster, sending up a thin curl of green steam.The front door opened with a soft click, followed by quick footsteps hurrying down the hallway. Dr. Chloe Lin ent

The bronze bell above the municipal council building struck eleven in the morning with five slow chimes.Inside the council chamber, emergency warning lights blinked above the central podium. Five senior city council members stood around a wide mahogany table, their faces pale with worry.Spread acr

The clock on the wall of the chamber ticked with a loud clack. Outside, rain beat against the glass, casting gray shadows across the faces of the frightened council members.Two senior corporate attorneys in dark gray suits stepped forward to the polished mahogany table. With practiced movements, th

She entered an eight-digit executive override sequence into the terminal and pressed the enter key.The giant projection screens mounted along the chamber walls came alive.International financial records from the Global Banking Clearinghouse appeared across the screens, followed by a detailed corpo

Chief Attorney Donald Vance pulled his mobile phone from his coat pocket with shaking hands and dialed the overseas number. He pressed the phone to his ear while the chamber remained silent around him.The line connected on the second ring."Mr. Vance! Do not call this number again!"A panicked voic