Seven women rejected me at a charity gala in front of nearly four hundred guests, and by the seventh, people had stopped pretending they weren’t counting. Six months earlier, I’d been one of Chicago’s most sought-after millionaires, but that night I escaped into an empty courtyard feeling completely worthless, until a hotel janitor looked at me and asked the one question nobody else had bothered to ask.

By 1:00 PM, the old board of directors was gone.

The news of their collective resignations sent Mercer Dynamics' stock soaring fifteen percent in afternoon trading—the highest single-day gain in the company's ten-year history.

I stood in my corner office, staring at the empty leather chair where Nolan used to sit across from me.

A gentle knock sounded at my open door.

Elena stepped inside, carrying a folder. "Ethan? The forensic audit team has completed the review of Nolan’s secondary accounts."

"What did they find?" I asked, walking over to my desk.

"Nolan was systematically skimming small percentages from our international research grants for eighteen months," Elena reported, her professional tone crisp and immaculate. "He was preparing to declare Mercer Dynamics insolvent by the fourth quarter to force a government bail-out before selling our patent portfolio to Titan Holdings."

I shook my head, feeling a mixture of horror and relief. "If we had waited another month, it would have been irreversible."

"Which is why we are implementing a double-key authorization protocol for all research expenditures moving forward," Elena said, handing me the digital tablet. "I've already drafted the new compliance guidelines."

I looked at the tablet, marveling at her efficiency and speed.

"You're incredible, Elena," I said sincerely.

She smiled warmly. "I just like doing things right, Ethan."

My desk phone rang. It was my executive assistant on the intercom.

"Mr. Mercer? There is a Ms. Brooke Langley downstairs in the lobby. Security says she refuses to leave until she sees you."

I looked at Elena, then at the city below my window.