The first alert arrives without sound.
Julian only notices because the transfer confirmation doesn’t.
He stares at the screen, waiting for the green authorization bar to complete. It stalls at ninety-three percent, flickers, then disappears.
Access temporarily restricted pending clarification.
He blinks once.
Behind him, the city glows through glass, indifferent.
He tries again. Different account. Same message.
Restricted.
He dials his executive assistant.
“Why am I seeing compliance flags on Tier One holdings?”
A pause. Papers shuffle too quickly. “Sir, we were about to inform you. Treasury reached out. There’s a temporary lock on discretionary movement over seven figures.”
“Temporary based on what?”
“They cited ongoing review.”
“Whose review?”
“Compliance.”
His jaw tighten
