William stood at the head of the conference table and looked at each of the shareholders seated. They were waiting for him to explain, justify, or even beg for understanding. He was not interested in doing any of those things.

The minute he had walked in, he had noted the different faces with their uncertainty, anger, or fullblown panic. He recognized each expression and their owners. Gerald Hines in the corner with his red face and crossed arms; Patricia Chen leaning back with calculated ...