CHAPTER 6: Five Calls Before Midnight

Grant’s phone began to vibrate before Robert ended the call.
At first, Grant ignored it. Powerful men hated appearing reachable in moments that did not favor them.
Then it vibrated again.
And again.
The first call was from his chief financial officer. The second was from the bank that held the construction loan on Moreau Tower. The third was from a board member who never called after ten unless something had already gone wrong.
Grant stared down as each name lit his screen.
Emma watched him understand that consequences could move faster than anger.
Robert’s voice came through her phone one last time.
“Stay where you are. My attorneys are already downstairs.”
Grant looked toward the private elevator lobby beyond the glass doors.
For the first time that night, he seemed to notice how high above the city they were.
Not powerful.
Trapped.
Each vibration sounded small against the city, but Emma saw Grant flinch as if every call struck a hidden nerve. His empire did not break with thunder. It broke with appointment reminders, bank numbers, and board members who suddenly remembered they had duties.
Sloane watched the screen with the stunned fascination of someone seeing money behave like weather, beautiful until it turned.