Chapter 172

Madison

I leaned against the wall in Alexander’s office, watching him take the last of his calls for the day. The Bloomberg interview had gone even better than the first, and the Fox Business segment had been nearly perfect. Alexander had been calm, articulate, and confident enough to reassure investors without seeming arrogant.

“That’s correct,” he said into the phone, his voice steady. “Knight Industries welcomes any regulatory review. Our books are open, our practices are transparent, and these allegations are baseless.” He paused, listening. “Yes, I understand. Thank you for your support.”

He hung up and ran a hand through his hair, looking tired but satisfied.

“Good news?” I asked.

“The market’s closed, and we ended down only four percent. Some of our other stocks performed better, some worse, but overall...” He shrugged. “It could have been much worse.”

“That’s a relief,” I said, feeling the tension that had been coiled in my shoulder