The fourth floor of Meridian Systems was already chaotic at 7:45 AM. Junior executives were running between cubicles, desperately trying to compile the quarterly manufacturing reports for their new majority owners at Vanguard Capital.
Richard Hayes was sitting behind his massive desk in the corner office. He was rubbing his temples, staring at a stack of compliance audits. He looked like a man who had aged five years in the span of three days.
Quinn Harper knocked twice on the open glass door.
"Mr. Hayes," Quinn said, standing in the doorway.
Hayes looked up, a wave of relief washing over his tired face. "Harper. Thank god. Come in and shut the door."
Quinn stepped into the office and pulled the heavy glass door shut, cutting off the noise of the frantic cubicle floor. She walked over
