The scandal surrounding the Thoreau family had stretched on for weeks.
Every major financial newspaper in London had dissected the controversy. Television analysts debated the possibility of a hidden heir day and night, while investors whispered anxiously in boardrooms. Competitors watched from the sidelines like vultures circling wounded prey, waiting for the slightest sign of weakness.
For the first time in decades, Thoreau Systems looked vulnerable.
Inside the company's headquarters, the board of directors had finally reached a decision.
Something had to be done.
Not to settle the Thoreau family's personal conflict... But to protect the business before the damage became irreversible.
That morning, formal invitations had been delivered to both Lucas and Damien. The board had called
