The 9:00 AM mail call at Aegis Global Systems was usually a digital non-event—a quiet stream of server diagnostics, clearing confirmations from Goldman Sachs, and subscription renewals for raw Bloomberg terminal feeds.
It was the first Monday of December.
A sharp, frozen sleet rattled against the floor-to-ceiling glass on the thirty-fourth floor, leaving streaks of ice along the western view of the Hudson River. Inside, the heating vents hummed softly, filling the light-flooded office with the comforting warmth of fresh dark roast and polished cedar.
I sat at my command station, wearing a high-collared burgundy cashmere sweater and tailored black trousers, my dark hair styled in a sleek, low knot at the nape of my neck. My fingers moved across my mechanical keyboard in a rhythmic, calm
