CHAPTER 1: THE BLOOD ON THE WHITE COLLAR
Rain hammered against the enormous windows of the forty-eighth floor of Harrison Tower.
Beyond the glass, Manhattan disappeared beneath a gray curtain of water. Cars moved like tiny lights along the streets, and the surrounding skyscrapers stood like silent witnesses to the storm.
Inside the executive conference room, however, the atmosphere was far more dangerous.
A young man in a dark blue suit sat in a leather chair. His blond hair was disheveled, his lower lip was bleeding, and a thin line of blood ran down his cheek.
His name was Ethan Miller.
At twenty-nine, Ethan was one of the youngest senior executives at Harrison International, a multinational investment and construction company valued at nearly eight billion dollars.
He had graduated from Stanford with honors, built a successful technology division, and helped the company secure several major international contracts.
But none of that mattered at the moment.
Standing in front of him was Marcus Williams, the company's chief security officer.
Marcus was a broad-shouldered man in his late fifties. His dark suit was perfectly pressed, his expression was cold, and his eyes showed no sympathy.
"Do you understand what happens to people who steal from this company?" Marcus asked.
Ethan slowly raised his head.
"I didn't steal anything."
Marcus laughed.
"Then explain the missing twelve million dollars."
"I already explained it. The transfers were authorized by the finance department."
"Your signature is on the documents."
"Because I approved the original project. I never authorized the payments you are accusing me of."
Marcus stepped closer.
"Do you expect us to believe that?"
Ethan looked toward the other side of the conference room.
A woman in an elegant cream-colored suit sat behind the large wooden table.
Her name was Eleanor Harrison.
She was the company's chief executive officer and the widow of its founder.
For thirty years, Eleanor had helped build Harrison International from a small family business into one of the most powerful corporations in America.
She had been a mentor to Ethan.
She had personally approved his promotion.
And she had promised him that the company would always reward honesty and hard work.
Now she was sitting silently while Marcus treated him like a criminal.
"Eleanor," Ethan said, his voice strained. "Please tell him to stop."
Eleanor looked at him.
"Your situation is very serious, Ethan."
"You know me."
"I thought I did."
Those five words hurt more than the blow that had split his lip.
Ethan stared at her.
"You know I would never steal from this company."
Eleanor closed the folder in front of her.
"Then perhaps you should have thought about that before signing fraudulent documents."
Ethan shook his head.
"Those documents were altered."
Marcus suddenly grabbed the back of his chair.
"That's enough."