She felt, mostly, a deep and weary sadness, that a company she had built to embody grace and dignity had produced, at its flagship, two men whose character revealed itself, the moment they believed no one who mattered was watching, to be this small.

Chapter 15 — A Structural Issue

Thirty seconds later, exactly as promised, the double doors leading to the grand ballroom burst open, and Arthur Sterling came sprinting across the polished marble floor in his tuxedo, his hair slightly disheveled from the run.

He stopped in front of Clara, breathless, and bowed his head in deep respect.

“Mrs.

Vance,” he managed, wiping a bead of sweat from his brow.

“Welcome to the Grand Regent.