The view from the seventy-eighth floor of Pierce Tower turned Manhattan into a miniature city, tiny lights flickering like stars below. Alexander stood at the floor-to-ceiling window, phone pressed to his ear, watching darkness spread across the skyline. His reflection stared back at him, perfectly tailored suit, carefully neutral expression, eyes that revealed nothing of the game he was playing.

"I understand your interest in Rose Lewis's fashion line, Mr. Hiroshi," ...