The glass doors to the office burst open.

Michael Helwart strode in, the air changing with his arrival like a sudden storm front sweeping through calm waters. The late afternoon light caught the tailored angles of his charcoal-gray suit, casting long shadows that moved before him like harbingers. Behind him trailed a group of assistants and executives, their heels clattering against the tiled floor in hurried obedience, yet none dared to walk beside him. His aura was too cold, too sovereign. ...