The sudden collapse of a corporate empire rarely happens with a bang; usually, it begins with the silent, insidious creaking of a structure under too much pressure. Arthur Sterling was intimately familiar with that sound. As the CEO of Horizon Corp, he was currently gripped by a frantic, cold desperation that he couldn't quite name. He paced the length of his plush executive office, his eyes bloodshot from a lack of sleep. Beside him, Jude Montgomery, the head of Montgomery Ad Agency, looked equally haggard, his usually sharp suit wrinkled and his tie loosened in a way that signaled a complete breakdown of professional composure.
"I don't understand it," Arthur hissed, slamming a fist onto his desk. "Everything was lined up. The merger with Montgomery Ad Agency was supposed to streamline
