Chapter 37. The Shadow Behind the Surge

The city below pulsed like circuitry—towers of glass and steel blinking their approval in stock tickers and green-lit terminals. Harper stood at the executive suite’s panoramic window, Ledger HQ humming behind her. Across her tablet screen, numbers flooded in:

+18.5% growth. Record client acquisition. Q7 Trust Index: +35%.

A breath caught in her chest—not relief, exactly. Not triumph. A moment of stillness, like standing at the edge of a rooftop and realizing you’ve already leapt.

Behind her, the door opened with a soft click. Knox entered, two coffees in hand.

He offered one. “Your speech did it.”

Harper smiled, wrapping her fingers around the warm mug. “Our speech,” she murmured.

They stood shoulder to shoulder in the silence, city reflected in the glass.

But victory never stayed unchallenged. Not here.

Her phone buzzed—sharp, insistent. One red notification blinked:

URGENT: PRIVATE INVESTOR CHAT — Bennett Chase.

Bennett