Caught in the Middle

The following evening, having concluded the immediate fallout of the Sunstone restructuring, the sky above the financial district turned a bruised purple.

Jude had dismissed his chauffeur at the edge of the pedestrian avenue, intending to walk the remaining two blocks to the unmarked private dining club where Harper had booked their first blind date.

However, halfway down the block, the sky cracked open.

Unwilling to ruin his bespoke Savile Row tailoring before sitting across from Harper, Jude stepped through the doors of an artisanal espresso bar on the corner to escape the downpour.

Meanwhile, tucked away in one of the plush velvet booths near the back of the establishment, Victoria Vance was currently trapped in a nightmare.

Victoria had rushed to the cafe directly from the office, under the strict impression that she was meeting her overbearing mother, Beatrice Vance, for a quick familial legal consultation regarding an estate trust.