I backed into a server. His tray hit the floor, and champagne ran over my shoes.
*Madam Chairman.*
I pushed through the crowd into an empty marble corridor. A secure message from Peterson appeared on my phone.
*Subject: URGENT - Background Verification: S. Vance.*
I typed in my credentials. The file opened.
**Name:** Serena Elizabeth Sterling.
**Status:** Sole Heir, Sterling Consolidated.
**Net Worth (Trust Holdings):** Undisclosed. Estimated in the billions.
**Board Affiliations:** Blackrock Tower Holdings (Majority Shareholder), Sterling Global Finance (Chairman), Vantage Tech (Primary Investor).
Below the profile was an appendix: *"Comparative Analysis: Blackwood Group Key Strategic Initiatives."*
The left column showed Project Nightingale, which I had praised as Chloe's. The
