As Samuel Carter practically sprinted out of the conference room to file the counter-injunction, the heavy silence of the Apex Plaza settled back in. Jake didn't move. He leaned back in his chair, staring at the ceiling. The legal win was a relief, but it felt like a distraction from the rot eating at his family.
He pulled his phone from his pocket and dialed a number he didn't keep in his contacts. It rang twice.
"Jake," Adrian Vale's voice was smooth, filtered through what sounded like the background noise of a busy airport. "I heard you're moving into the Plaza. Moving up in the world fast, aren't you?"
"I don't have time for small talk, Adrian. I need a favor. A sensitive one."
"Those are the only ones I like. Go ahead."
