Chapter 3

I sat in the leather chair at the top of Reed Tower, the floor-to-ceiling windows cutting Riverdale's neon lights into broken fragments beyond the glass.

My fingertips tapped against the desk, one beat after another, while the massive screen before me showed Lane Holdings' stock price plunging like a dying signal, falling with absolute finality until it collapsed into a sick, stagnant green.

"Ms. Reed, I've locked down every line of credit they had," Richard said from behind me, his voice steady and calm. "And the breach penalties from their partners will be more than enough to keep them busy."