ing. The cold Manhattan wind hit her face, an
ering crystal was stil
SUV she had rented that morning. She gripped the steering wheel, star
She saw the sterile hospital room. She saw her grandfather, Gardner Lang, lying in the bed, hi
A hot tear slippe
the massive iron gates of the Lang
ain. She grabbed her bag and walk
she saw her in the foyer. "Miss
?" Alondra asked,
greenhou
n the heavy glass doors of the greenhouse. The air inside wa
His silver hair caught the sunlight. He was wearing reading
looked up. His wrinkled face brok
s contro
nd threw her arms around his legs. She buried her face in his tr
red hands quickly stroked her hair. "W
ainst his knees. "I was so stupid,
mrests of his chair. "Did Gerard hurt you?
ped her wet cheeks with the bac
"I made him sign the di
ook of relief washed over his face. He
his wheelchair and slowly pushed h
Group," Alondra said, her v
head to look at her, studying her face to se
of the wheelchair. "The supply chain for the new tech division is vulneraup. That was a highly cl
cousin. "You need to look closely at his fin
temples. "I'm getting old, Ally. The
dle him," A
tes. Alondra outlined a fla
, he drafted and signed a formal Chairman's Authorization. It granted Alondra absolute, unquestioned executive control over
" Gardner said, han
cument. She looked up at the orange sunset. The fir
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