He glanced at his watch.
"It is currently 12:02 AM."
Act III: The Price of Treason
Chapter 5: The Glass Penthouse
The penthouse suite of The Grand Sovereign Hotel was a cathedral of glass, chrome, and dark leather, offering a 360-degree panoramic view of the glowing city skyline below.
Ten minutes after the confrontation on the sidewalk, the massive mahogany doors of the penthouse conference room swung open.
James walked in, accompanied by two senior managing partners from Skadden Arps—New York's premier corporate litigation firm. Behind them, trembling and white-faced, walked Julian Sterling and Vanessa.
Sitting at the end of the long glass conference table was Arthur Sterling—Julian’s father and the founder of Sterling Holdings.
Arthur Sterling was sixty-five, silver-haired, dressed in a black tuxedo. He looked up from his tablet, his eyes flashing with fury as he saw his son walk into the room accompanied by security guards.
"Julian!" Arthur snapped, standing up. "What is the meaning of this delay?! The board of the Department of Defense is on the line from Washington! They are waiting for us to execute the encryption security transfer!"