The warm, ambient twilight over the Capital Port financial district cast a spectacular, liquid amber glow through the massive panoramic glass windows of the primary master suite inside the Sterling penthouse.
A gentle, cooling evening breeze rolled in from the active harbor below, rustling the sheer white curtains and filling the quiet, luxurious space with the soothing scent of fresh rain and expensive French vanilla.
One year had passed since the historic coronation ceremony at Lake Como, and the consolidated Sterling Vance Global Maritime Empire had achieved an unprecedented surge on Wall Street, permanently locking out forty percent of the northern trade lines.
Yet, on this particular Friday evening, the cutthroat politics of the commercial sector were completely silent.
The atmo
