Ethan
William summoned me to his office on Monday morning with the particular brevity he reserved for conversations he considered serious enough not to waste on small talk. I found him standing at his window rather than seated behind his desk, a stance I'd learned meant he wanted to observe my reaction rather than simply deliver information.
"I've had three separate board members raise concerns with me over the past week," he said, without turning around. "About your judgment regarding the Ashford account."
"What kind of concerns?"
"The kind rooted in the tabloid speculation that hasn't fully died down since the press conference," William said, finally facing me. "A handshake that lingered too long, according to the photograph everyone's still discussing. Late nights working alongside
