I WALKED DOWN THE LENGTH OF MY OFFICE AND stopped in front of the second to last rack. “This one.” I picked out a shimmering gold dress.

“Excellent choice.” Lilah Amiri smiled. “It’ll look wonderful on her.

Shall I have it shipped directly to her apartment?” “Yes. Charge it to my account.”

Since Alessandra didn’t have time to find an outfit for her grand opening, I’d asked one of her favorite designers to bring over a selection of dresses she might like. I thought the gold one suited her best. She’d always looked good in the color, and the cut was simple, feminine, and elegant.

I’d already marked the opening in my calendar, set an alarm, and tasked Caroline and Martha with reminding me should I somehow forget about it come Saturday. I’d learned from my mistakes. I wasn’t missing so much as a coffee date again, much less something so important to Alessandra.

Our renewed relationship was still on tentative ground, but we were quickly settling into a new, better normal. Casual date nights, lazy weekends, frequent calls and texts…they reminded me of when we first started dating in college. The difference was, I had a better appreciation for what we had—and what I’d almost lost. I also didn’t have to scrape together cents and dollars for a nice meal anymore, which was a nice bonus.

I settled behind my desk as Martha ushered Lilah and her assistant out of my office. My staff was adjusting to my more relaxed schedule. Hell, I was adjusting to my schedule. After years of working myself to the bone at the expense of everything else, it felt strange to put my phone down for extended periods of time and not watch the moon rise from my office every night. Relaxing in Brazil was one thing; relaxing in New York was another.

I didn’t hate it. The fear of losing everything I’d built was still there, but the voices had subsided from screams to whispers.

I’d just pulled up the numbers for my latest acquisition when my phone rang. Kai.

The sight of his name packed a rush of adrenaline. He never called in the middle of the workday unless there was major news, and as CEO of the world’s largest media conglomerate, he had his finger on the pulse more than anyone I knew.

“Check your email.” No greeting, no goodbye before he hung up. The news must be fucking huge.

Gut instinct told me it had to do with the rumors roiling Wall Street this past week, and a quick click of the mouse proved me right.

The stock market closed in one minute. It was prime time for anyone who wanted to drop a bombshell that would upend the next morning’s trading session, which was exactly what an anonymous whistleblower had done.

Kai had sent me a dyslexic-friendly version of a white paper alleging major fraud at DBG, a massive regional bank. Bogus transactions, solvency issues, cover-ups at the highest level of management. If the allegations were true, it’d be one of the largest bank fraud cases in U.S. history.

The markets were going to be a bloodbath. I’d be surprised if DBG retained a fraction of its value by the end of the week.

Implications and possibilities flooded my mind with a crackling, swirling buzz. Adrenaline pumped harder through my veins and kicked my heart into overdrive.

This was it. The crisis I’d been waiting for.

“Sir.” Caroline appeared in the doorway, her face pale. The cacophony behind her told me we weren’t the only ones who’d read the white paper. Shouts and curses layered over the shrill ring of phones; an associate rushed past and nearly knocked Caroline over. She didn’t ask if I’d heard the news; she knew better. “What do you want to do?”

I’d waited my entire career to make my mark and I had, in many ways, but my previous accomplishments weren’t enough. What I had in mind though? It would be more than enough. It would make me a legend.

“Call in everyone, including legal, finance, and the board.” I stood, my blood electric with possibility. “We’re buying a bank.”

The chaos started the second I woke up on Friday and continued well into the night.

As predicted, DBG’s stocks plunged to record lows, and the media frenzy incited a run on deposits that brought one of the biggest regional banks in the eastern United States to the brink of ruin in less than twenty- four hours.

My plan was simple. In order for DBG to remain solvent, it needed capital, quick, and I had plenty of capital—enough to buy it out over the weekend before it fully collapsed.

The tight turnaround meant my team was working around the clock to get everything in order. DBG was fully onboard, and we kept in constant communication with them throughout the day.

We were still in the hastily set up war room next to my office at midnight when my phone rang.

Unknown caller.

It was either the person who’d been messing with me in the fall— Roman said it wasn’t him, but I was still skeptical—or it was another journalist. News of my impending buyout had leaked from DBG’s side, and I’d been fielding calls all fucking day.

“What?” I barked. I motioned for my general counsel. He rushed over and took the stack of papers I shoved in his arms.

“Don’t buy the bank.” The distorted voice sliced through my work fog like a dagger. I stilled, a cold sensation crawling down my throat and into my lungs. “If you do, you’ll die.”