“You smell of dirt and mediocrity”: He divorced her because she was the daughter of a gardener, unaware that her father owned his company.

As she bent to pick it up, Marcus’s discarded iPad—left on the couch in his arrogance—lit up with a notification. It was a secure message from the mysterious CEO of Helios Global, the entity buying Marcus’s company.

Elena’s eyes widened.

She knew that phrase. She knew that peculiar Latin sign-off.

FROM: PRESIDENT, HELIOS GLOBAL
TO: MARCUS STERLING
SUBJECT: FINAL TERMS OF MERGER

MESSAGE:
“Proceed at dawn. Remember, character is the only currency that matters. — A.P.”