Chapter 3 - The Corporate Tower
The following morning, the morning sun cut sharply through the glass and steel of the Sterling Global Logistics tower in Midtown Manhattan.
Harrison Sterling sat behind a massive walnut desk on the fifty-fourth floor, reviewing a quarterly logistics report, though his mind was entirely elsewhere. On his private desk screen, a discreet sub-file labeled Brooks, S. remained open.
His lead security advisor, Marcus, stood near the glass wall, arms crossed. "I checked the background profile you requested, Mr. Sterling. Savannah Brooks. Single mother, former junior accounting clerk at one of our subsidiary firms who was laid off eight months ago during the corporate restructuring. Clean record. No debt other than mounting medical bills from the baby's birth and delinquent utility notices."
Harrison leaned back in his leather chair, tapping a pen rhythmically against the desk. "And the utility shut-off notice?"
"ConEd scheduled her block for disconnection yesterday evening," Marcus replied. "She's been living without power for twelve hours."
Harrison stood up, buttoning his suit jacket. "Call the utility company. Pay her balance in full, plus a credit for the next six months. And reschedule my morning meetings until noon."
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Marcus blinked in surprise. "Sir? You're personally intervening in a minor credit dispute?"
"It's not a credit dispute, Marcus," Harrison said, walking toward the private elevator. "It'वाहीs a system failure. And when something in my sphere fails a mother and a child, I fix it."
