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CHAPTER ONE

ALEJANDRO AGUILAR STEPPED out of a bracing, ice-cold shower to the sound of a ringing phone At 4:00 am such an occurrence would have alarmed most people He already had a fair idea of why his early- disturbed

Crossing the o penthouse, he draped the towel round his neck and picked up the phone

‘Is it done?’

A reeted him ‘I’m sorry, sir, but they wouldn’t be swayed We’ve thrown everything at the my firstborn son’

The atte man to clear his throat uncomfortably

Alejandro’s grip tightened on the handset, the inkling he’d harboured for several weeks expanding to nape-tingling certainty There were far too er

‘Frankly, I’ent,’ Wendell continued ‘The Ishikawa brothers’ tea that they need more time’

Alejandro knehat the problelo the deal, which should’ve been finalised a o, in order to accommodate a third party’s interest

‘How did you leave things?’ he asked

‘They’ve asked for a few et an earlier date but they wouldn’t budge We’ve agreed to a videoconference on Friday’

‘That’s unacceptable I’ another five days Call them back Tell them I want the Ishikawa brothers in conference tomorrow’

‘Yes, sir’

About to hang up, Alejandro sensed his executive’s reticence ‘Is there so else?’

‘WellI got the feeling they think they have the upper hand The dynamic has definitely shifted’

Hearing his suspicions voiced by another brought a clench of anger to Alejandro’s gut If his executives had sniffed out the saain

‘Sir? Is there so we should know?’

Alejandro squashed his ire ‘I’ll take it froratitude to the team and tell everyone to take the day off You’ve earned it’

‘You still want me to make the call?’ Wendell asked

‘No I’ll take care of it’ Now that he kneholoves came off

‘If you’re sure, then I better get home to my wife before she serves h, which fizzled away, the otherI had my assistant compile the shortlist of PR firms for you Jameson PR has the e we need all the help we can get’

Alejandro finished the call and hung up Snatching the towel from around his neck, he dropped it and padded naked to his dressing roorey suits, black shirts and bespoke pinstripe ties ithin easy reach Selecting a charcoal suit, he dressed without of the door fifteen minutes later

The drive to the Loop, the financial heart of Chicago, took less than ten minutes The early hour inal satisfaction fro the quiet streets

But nothing could ease the iron-hard fist of unwelcoe thatsecond