“As you know,” Mr. Han began, standing beside the screen, “Mercer Enterprises is on the brink of total default.”

He pressed a button, and a red chart trended sharply downward, showing their mounting debts.

“Their primary creditor is holding thirty million dollars in overdue notes,” Mr. Han continued.

“And who holds those notes now?” I asked, though I already knew the answer.

“We do, Director,” said the head of our legal team, placing a leather binder in front of me.

“We quietly purchased the debt from the state bank yesterday morning.”

I opened the binder and looked at the signatures.

The ink was dry, but the names were painfully familiar.

The signature on the original loan documents belonged to Vivian Mercer.

Beside it was Daniel’s signature as the guarantor of the family fortune.

“They have no idea,” I murmured, running my finger over the cold paper.

“None,” the legal counsel said. “They believe the bank is still granting them an extension.”

“They came here to celebrate,” I said. “Daniel told me this trip was to secure a new investor.”