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Chapter One

Olivier

“I don’t like surprises” The irritation inby the second “This isn’t what you promised me”

“I know, and I’ “But if you’ll just sit doith me and take a closer look—”

“Tony, I was clear that I expected full transparency e discussed lance ater?”

He aze in the rearview mirror “Should be about twenty more minutes, Mr Durand”

I exhale hard and lean back Ben knows I’o cop who knows the fastest route to any destination in the city I’ ran over

“This deal is almost done,” Tony says fron”

I clench my hand into a fist “The financials would have been a technicality if they’d shohat you told me they would But your P&L statements ay off You lied to me about your profits from the past three years”

Tony huffs a sigh into the phone “I wasn’t lying I was just uess”

“Your best guess?” I can’t help but let out an unah “Here’s some free advice—next ti company, know the numbers You’re either incompetent or a liar, but frankly I don’t care which, because I don’t do business with either”

“Please, Mr Durand I need that money to stay afloat I may have embellished the details, but—”

“You didn’t embellish You lied The deal’s off”

I end the call and toss my phone on the seat next to me, then rub my forehead I invested countless hours for a possible ownership stake in that plu to show for it

So the owner of the Chicago Blaze, the NHL teao That’s where ot plenty I’ve always liked the challenge of turning around struggling companies The money I make from my two tech companies allowsthat’s broken and putting it back together

But soh I have ato walk away