Chapter 16 - THE OFFER THAT CHANGED THE BOARDROOM
Two months after the divorce became final, Evelyn Sterling stood at the head of Sterling-Apex's largest boardroom.
The city stretched beneath the glass walls.
Ports.
Warehouses.
Rail terminals.
Shipping routes.
Real estate holdings.
What had once been a struggling family company now controlled a network that reached across the East Coast.
Arthur Pendelton sat beside her, reviewing the morning agenda.
“We have one more item.”
Evelyn looked up.
“What is it?”
Arthur slid a black folder across the table.
“Halcyon Infrastructure.”
Evelyn opened it.
Halcyon owned six major freight terminals, three rail distribution centers, and a logistics technology division.
It was larger than any acquisition Sterling-Apex had attempted.
“Why are they selling?”
Arthur hesitated.
“Debt pressure.”
Evelyn studied the numbers.
The assets were valuable.
The asking price was surprisingly low.
Too low.
“Who is financing the seller?”
“That's the problem.”
Arthur placed another document beside the first.
“An investment group called Northbridge Meridian.”
Evelyn frowned.
The name meant nothing to her.
“Who owns it?”
“We haven't confirmed the ultimate beneficial owners.”
Evelyn closed the folder.
“Then we're not bidding.”
Several board members exchanged uncomfortable looks.
One of them spoke.
“Evelyn, this could double our logistics division.”
She looked directly at him.
“Then we can afford to wait until we know what we're buying.”
The room fell silent.
Evelyn had learned something during her marriage.
People who wanted something badly often wanted you to make decisions quickly.
She would not make that mistake again.
But that evening, Arthur returned to her office with one final document.
A list of Northbridge's major investors.
At the bottom was a name Evelyn recognized.
Not Marcus.
Not Claire.
Someone far more dangerous.
A former executive of Vance Logistics.
Someone who had disappeared before the federal investigation began.
Evelyn stared at the name.
May you like
“Find him.”
---
