By the time Julian returned to his office, the sky outside was pitch black.
Three things rested on his desk, including the photocopy retrieved from the black wax-sealed box, a dire capital withdrawal warning, and the accent stone necklace he had dug out of the trash.
He picked up the necklace, noticing the faint scratches on the clasp. Back when I stayed up all night refining blueprints, I used to wind thin chains like this around my fingers, giving them a gentle tug whenever I felt sleepy.
The screen flashed seven times with missed calls from investors and lawyers. He ignored them, his thumb hovering over my number for a long time.
He dialed, only to get to leave a message.
He tried again and met with the exact same dead sound.
Hannah knocked and entered, her face pale. "Mr. Stone,
