“This is a hit piece,” Calvin said.

My phone buzzed in my pocket, the vibration hard against my leg.

Then Sayer’s desk phone began to ring.

Two seconds later, Calvin’s mobile screen lit up with a local area code.

“Don’t answer yet,” Sayer said, lifting his hand to silence us.

He clicked a bookmark on his browser and loaded the homepage of the *Rocky Mountain Business Journal*.

The lead headline was already live, stamped with a red ‘Breaking’ tag.

*Questions of Stability Hang Over Northline Logistics Heir.*

Below the headline was a cropped image of the Crestview logo and my signature.

“They didn’t even give us an hour to respond,” I said.

My lungs felt tight, the air in the office suddenly too thin to breathe.

“They don’t want a response,” Sayer said. “They want the panic.”

Calvin answered his phone on the third ring, his face hardening as he listened.

“This is Reese,” Calvin said, his voice dropping an octave.

He walked toward the corner of the office, his boots squeaking on the polished hardwood.

“Yes, Dr. Aris,” Calvin said. “I understand. No, that is not accurate.”