The office was smaller than Alex expected.
Not cheap.
Not unimpressive.
Just smaller.
Richard Halpern's office sat on the forty-second floor of a steel and glass tower that overlooked the river. The walls were covered with old photographs of shipping yards and cargo vessels.
Alex recognized one of them immediately.
Port Meridian.
Twenty years younger.
Busy.
Alive.
Alex stood in the doorway for a moment.
"Still nostalgic," he said quietly.
Richard Halpern looked up from behind his desk.
He was older than Alex remembered.
White hair now.
Sharper eyes.
But the same calm posture of someone who had moved billions of dollars with a single phone call.
"Well," Halpern said.
"That's a surprise."
Alex walked inside slowly.
"Hello, Richard."
Halpern leaned back in his chair.
"I heard you disappeared."
Alex shrugged.
"I took a break."
Halpern smiled faintly.
"That's not the story I heard."
Alex sat in the chair across from him.
"I'm sure it wasn't."
Halpern folded his hands.
"So why are you here?"
Alex looked out the window briefly.
The river moved slowly below.
Cargo ships in the distance.
The city doing what cities always did—pretending power was stable.
Then he turned back.
"You know Adrian Laurent."
Halpern raised an eyebrow.
"Yes."
Alex nodded.
"I married him."
Halpern studied him for several seconds.
"That was… unexpected."
Alex smiled faintly.
"You're not wrong."
Halpern leaned forward slightly.
"And you came here to tell me this."
Alex shook his head.
"No."
Halpern waited.
Alex leaned back in the chair.
"I came here because you're about to make a very expensive mistake."
Halpern smiled.
"That sounds dramatic."
Alex shrugged.
"It usually is."
Halpern rested his elbows on the desk.
"You're referring to Victor."
Alex nodded.
"Yes."
Halpern didn't deny it.
Alex continued.
"You're helping him buy Laurent International."
Halpern's expression didn't change.
"That's business."
Alex tilted his head.
"Is it?"
Halpern looked at him calmly.
"Yes."
Alex nodded slowly.
"That's what Victor told you."
Halpern said nothing.
Alex leaned forward slightly.
"You know something interesting about Victor?"
Halpern waited.
"He's very good at selling stories."
Halpern smiled faintly.
"All successful men are."
Alex shook his head.
"No."
Halpern raised an eyebrow.
"No?"
"Most successful men sell profit."
Alex tapped the desk lightly.
"Victor sells revenge."
The office went quiet.
Halpern studied him carefully.
"That's a strong accusation."
Alex shrugged.
"It's also accurate."
Halpern leaned back again.
"You think Victor's takeover is emotional."
Alex nodded.
"Yes."
Halpern smiled slightly.
"And you think Adrian Laurent isn't."
Alex didn't answer immediately.
Finally he said,
"I think Adrian Laurent prefers results."
Halpern nodded slowly.
"That's fair."
Alex continued.
"And Victor prefers closure."
Halpern's eyes sharpened slightly.
"That's an interesting distinction."
Alex leaned back again.
"You're funding closure."
Halpern crossed his arms.
"I'm funding opportunity."
Alex shook his head.
"No."
Halpern waited.
"You're funding a man who's about to burn half the port network to win an argument that started twenty years ago."
Silence.
Halpern looked out the window.
The river reflected pale sunlight across the office walls.
Alex watched him carefully.
After a moment Halpern asked,
"What do you want?"
Alex smiled faintly.
"That's always the question."
Halpern didn't smile.
Alex leaned forward again.
"I want you to stop backing Victor."
Halpern laughed softly.
"That's not happening."
Alex nodded.
"I expected that."
Halpern looked at him.
"So why come here?"
Alex reached into his jacket.
Halpern's eyes narrowed slightly.
Alex placed a single sheet of paper on the desk.
Halpern glanced down.
The page contained a copy of the old contract.
And the altered terms.
Halpern's expression changed slightly.
"That's old history."
Alex nodded.
"Yes."
Halpern looked up.
"And?"
Alex smiled faintly.
"Victor's father forged the agreement."
Halpern didn't respond.
Alex continued.
"There's also a thirty-million-dollar transfer connected to it."
Halpern stared at the document for several seconds.
Then he leaned back slowly.
"Well."
Alex crossed his arms.
"That's the polite reaction."
Halpern looked at him again.
"You're threatening me."
Alex shook his head.
"No."
Halpern raised an eyebrow.
"No?"
"I'm warning you."
Halpern's voice remained calm.
"That scandal destroys Victor."
Alex nodded.
"Yes."
Halpern folded his hands.
"And Adrian."
Alex shrugged.
"Maybe."
Halpern studied him carefully.
"You're gambling."
Alex smiled faintly.
"Not really."
Halpern waited.
Alex leaned forward slightly.
"You're an investor."
"Yes."
"You don't like unpredictable markets."
"No."
Alex gestured toward the paper.
"This creates a very unpredictable market."
Halpern tapped the desk once.
"And you think I'll abandon Victor because of it."
Alex nodded.
"Yes."
Halpern laughed quietly.
"You always were ambitious."
Alex shrugged.
"I learned from you."
Halpern studied him for a moment.
Then he said,
"You're not here for Adrian."
Alex didn't answer.
Halpern continued.
"You're here because you don't trust Victor."
Alex smiled faintly.
"That too."
Halpern leaned forward again.
"Tell me something honestly."
Alex raised an eyebrow.
"That's dangerous."
Halpern ignored the comment.
"Why are you helping Adrian Laurent?"
Alex hesitated.
That question was more complicated than he liked.
Finally he said,
"Because Victor is worse."
Halpern watched him carefully.
"That's not the whole answer."
Alex shrugged.
"It's enough."
Halpern leaned back in his chair again.
The office grew quiet.
After a long moment he said,
"You've changed."
Alex smiled faintly.
"Everyone says that."
Halpern tapped the desk lightly.
"You used to chase money."
Alex nodded.
"That didn't work out."
Halpern almost smiled.
"No."
Alex stood up.
"So."
Halpern looked at him.
"So what?"
Alex gestured toward the paper.
"Think about it."
Halpern said nothing.
Alex walked toward the door.
Just before leaving he stopped.
"You know Victor thinks he's buying control."
Halpern waited.
Alex glanced back.
"But control is expensive."
Halpern didn't respond.
Alex finished the thought quietly.
"And very fragile."
Then he left.
Later That Afternoon
Alex stepped out of the elevator into Laurent Tower.
Elena was waiting near the conference room.
She looked up immediately.
"Well?"
Alex shrugged.
"That was unpleasant."
Elena folded her arms.
"Did it work?"
Alex thought about Halpern's face when he saw the document.
Then he smiled faintly.
"Yes."
Adrian stepped out of the conference room behind her.
He looked at Alex.
"You're confident."
Alex nodded.
"Yes."
Adrian asked quietly,
"Why?"
Alex leaned against the wall.
"Because Halpern likes money more than revenge."
Elena smiled slightly.
"That's true."
Alex looked at Adrian.
"You know what the best part is?"
Adrian waited.
Alex crossed his arms.
"Victor thinks he's buying your company."
Adrian raised an eyebrow.
"And?"
Alex smiled.
"He might have just bought the wrong side."