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na'
had just offered me three mill
e wors
ly considerin
k, my fingers resting against the
WOOD
t name had destroye
mily's reputation. The futur
destruction stood a man who had intr
l name was Alex
he was the father of
u're not thinking
nett entered my office ca
rning to
le
on the desk and poi
's not what I
What do you
pped in an expensive
ost s
ou're c
into the chai
through countless difficult decisions, and one of the
ding
irst page. "Six months of consulting services. Full
sive, i
is the wor
aned
of its investment subsidiaries. Shareholders were demanding answers, regulator
omeone to man
y, they w
e," I said, "is
aised an
t's
r document ac
he third p
ad sil
expressio
ian Ca
odd
he remaining assets of Hart Fin
her's
lding before confidential documents were leaked
d so quickly that we barely
kwood's company ha
, "this doesn't necessarily me
kno
think t
't y
dn't a
toward th
r, hopeful, and foolish enough to bel
niel Reed at
ut being arrogant, attenti
me feel like the most int
ilies, our ambitions, a
orked in invest
ng the billionaire hei
anger I trusted would be
on, my father's company
Daniel had
s real identity, Alexander Black
ing about him
out what happene
ot the sa
dmitted.
ne vib
appeared on
en wearing his blue school unif
my mother
't need breakfast. I've exp
erything,
leaned
ourite little
ating with Grandm
ely your
d the ph
tions, and an extraordinary talent for tu
yes belonged t
looked more l
the secret becam
ut his father aga
odd
to know whether his
d you te
didn't
ross the desk and
voiding that conv
kno
anted Noah to
that his father had disappeared
f his existence was also connect
he truth," Sop
e's old enough t
Alexa
ession
k into our lives simply becau
ie s
ful about wal
ernoon, I called
female voic
istration. How m
s Strategic Consulting. I'm ca
es. We've been expe
row
ommended
the Westbridge Industries cri
anation m
from a damaging executive scandal. The work had
mething f
ved the in
cutive c
Blackwood perso
pa
I can't co
cou
tend the ini
ives from our legal departmen
ach tig
xan
would finally stand
nine?" the
photograph of
ld de
peaceful life I had
g and perhaps discover why my fat
there,"
s waiting for me at m
om
efore I had proper
ed and c
my hand
lt a c
all
rs. Grandma said
chen, my mot
too big for the
gig
d his f
, everything
touched
om
sweeth
know how to b
le fal
do yo
daddy helped him b
allo
dy might
I mee
truck harder t
ed him
meday, sw
sidere
e has to lik
ghed
ke sure
sleep, I sat beside his
more than
erved
was finally tim
ved at Blackwood Global headq
nhattan, its entrance crowded with ex
ed my na
ned young woman Alex
ccessful con
raised
ebuilt
oday, I would not l
corted me to the
ill join yo
nk y
ce room and placed my
all man in a charc
na H
es
Chief operat
ook h
ent things about y
nk y
help us uncover what
much access you're
an s
business. I
d respond, th
athan said. "P
urn
ot how t
ack suit, his dark hair neatly style
s had cha
er, harder, m
gnised him
r from the
eld me close and
who ne
es met
oment, his comp
le
ooked be
ow each
elf to stand
ve m
took one s
been trying
ugh almost
all
w tigh
talk pri
y can wait, Mr. Blackwoo
ickered acro
t, pe
dn't return fiv
er, my phone vibrate
y mother illumin
his daddy has a name.
d for th
had already
es nar
e repeate
ammed again
ed the
s pers
ked at me for
question I had spent
do you hav
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