Chapter 87 The Last Test

• The morning air was cool and crisp, and I sat at my desk, staring at the papers in front of me. My whole future was hinged on one decision. This venture-the one to which I had given every ounce of my energy-was at its greatest test. Just one wrong move, one moment of vacillation, and everything could go tumbling down.
• I tapped my pen on the desk, my mind racing with the possibilities. To take the risk or to play it cautiously? In either case, the stakes were high. My hands trembled a bit as I betrayed the calmness my exterior had projected. No matter how far I'd come, this final test seemed to hold the power of unwinding it all.
• Before I could change my mind, my phone buzzed, an incoming message from my new partner, Leo. He had been a rock through all of this, and I knew his insight would be invaluable.