Bio - Tech Headquarters - Boardroom.The boardroom was filled with discontentment. Aground the huge, polished mahogany table, Bio - Tech’s most influential investors sat like judges in a court case, ready to to deliver a guilty charge. The air was thick with the scent of expensive perfume, bland coffee and pure fear.Charles Stewart stood at the head of the table, his knuckles white as he gripped the table, trying to look unshaken in the face of the storm.“Gentlemen, ladies, I assure you,” he began, with his voice an imitation of its former boom. “This is a temporary setback. A blip. Robinson’s alliance with Lawson is a facade built on sand. The SEC is already launching a full investigation into his finances. His house of cards will collapse by the end of the week.”A silver haired investor called Pierce, his face etched with skepticism, didn’t bother to hide his disgust. “A blip, Charles? My portfolio has lost eighteen percent of its value since this ‘blip’ began. The market isn’t r

Sawdust Industries - Arthur Ginger’s Office.The reception area of Sawdust Industries was going according to its name…rustic, solid and functional, with the rich scent of polished wood and parchment hanging in the air. It was a stark contrast to the cold glass and steel of Bio- tech or Austra.Charles Stewart stood there impatiently, feeling every ounce of that contrast, every second of the humiliating silence as the receptionist made them wait. Simeon stood beside him, like a statue with tension and worry etched on his face.Finally, the woman nodded. “Mr. Ginger will see you now.”Ginger’s office was an enormous space adorned with bookshelves of rare timber and framed blueprints of historical buildings. But Stewart’s eyes weren’t on the decorations. They were locked on the two men seated in the deep leather armchairs opposite Ginger’s desk.Arthur Ginger sat behind the desk, like a king in a throne room. And lounging casually in one of the chairs, swirling a glass of bourbon, was Gr

Bio - Tech Headquarters - Stewart’s office.The door to Charles Stewart’s office slammed shut with a huge force that rattled the windows. Stewart stormed across the room, with pure rage etched on his face. With a swing, he swiped a bottle of wine and two glasses off his desk, sending them shattering against the wall.“That fool! That back side peasant! How dare he speak to me like that in front of Gregory Lawson!” he roared with fury.Simeon stood by the door, with his hands fisted in anger. “And Lawson…his arrogance is beyond belief. Talking about Lillian as if she were…” he paused and forced his voice to be calm, even though it shook with rage. “The problem is Ginger. We almost had Robinson with the SEC. We were inches from putting the federal chain around his neck. Ginger is the shield. Before we can land a blow on Mike, Ginger has to be removed.”Stewart stopped his pacing and breathed heavily. He shook his head in a grim, defeated gesture. “You don’t get it, Simeon. Arthur Ginger

The Lawson Tower — Gala Night.The expensive looking black limousine stopped to a halt at the entrance of the hall, as its polished surface reflects the lights of the Lawson Tower. Through the tinted window, Mike saw a sea of reporters and photographers, flashing their cameras like lightning strikes, as they all spoke excitedly, hoping to be the one to go first.And then suddenly, a sharp memory flashed through his mind.He was twenty six. The moon was shining. He had just secured the Lockwood contract, which was the biggest in Bio-Tech’s history last year. His heart was hammering against his ribs, not from the climbing of the corporate headquarters steps, but from hope. Today was the day, Stewart would finally name him partner. He would take his father’s vacant chair as co - CEO of Bio-Tech group. The reporters had crowded him then, too. “Mike! Is it true you have just closed the Lockwood contract?”“Are you being promoted?”“How does it feel to be Stewart’s golden boy?”He had sm