Conor walked down the hall to his old office and knocked just as Kerrigan was hanging up with Natalie. “Got a minute?” “I suppose.” “Issues back at Dragon Corporation?” “Kelan is being an ass to my staff, and my chief of security is missing. But all sunshine and rainbows. So, what's up?” Kerrigan said with a forced smile. “Well, Peter Miros stopped by.” “The AperturePhoto guy?” “Yep. He had a curious visitor. One Andrew Harden.” “Harden… that family does construction for the Benedicts, right? What did he want?” “You know your stuff!” “It pays to know one’s enemy,” Kerrigan said with a smirk. Conor explained briefly what Peter had told him. Kerrigan sat back in the chair and steepled her fingers in contemplation. “So, the runt of the litter is making a play for the throne. Sounds like Harden Corporation will be in dire straights if they don’t get a major injection of funds.” “Or they will just keep playing lackey to the Benedicts,” Conor suggested. “True, but Ezra Harden i

Mr. Nuri arrived early at the court house and found his place behind the defendant’s table. He laid out his notes and began reviewing. He always made a point of arriving well before anyone else to make sure he had everything set. On many days like this Jarad or one of his other paralegals might have joined him, but they all had tasks to attend to in preparation for the Gala and Conor’s upcoming business moves. Even his new apprentice was busy trying to solve the conundrum that was the task of reacquiring full control of Dragon Corporation. Mr. Nuri scratched his head as he looked over the notes from discovery. This should be an open and shut case, but this judge he had been assigned was a newer one. Judge Marrow according to the notes his team had compiled for him was raised in Pinon Province but had attended the capital’s renowned school of law, the same that he had attended, though a few years before himself. The small audience began filtering in, many graduate students trying t

Kerrigan walked out of the office suite for perhaps the last time on Saturday morning. Today, Conor was due to pick her up for their outing to the mountains north of Jinstain. She had found a cute black tennis skirt that should work well for outdoor adventuring. She had also managed to find a thin gray sun shirt the nice girl at the clothing shop had called a rashguard. She had assured Kerrigan that it would help prevent sunburn, and if they were going to be out for a few hours, she would want the extra protection. Back at the temple, Kerrigan had to worry about wind burn, chapped lips, and frostbite. Sun exposure was a prized time in the all too short summer months. The girl had insisted though that here in Jinstain, as summer came on, the risk of sunburn and heat stroke was all too real. She sat on the edge of the desk waiting for word that Conor had arrived for their outing. Evelynn walked in and smiled. “Someone looks nervous today,” she jested. “I am not! It's just a chance t

Evelynn picked out a spot on the large flat rock near Kerrigan and set down her own backpack, laid out a towel, and then glanced around for Parker before stripping off her shirt, revealing her bikini underneath. She then took a running leap and dove into the depths of the pool. “Well, that is one way to brave the cold.” Conor chuckled as Evelynn broke the surface halfway across the pond. He stood and stripped off his own shirt revealing an impressive set of abs. Kerrigan realized that since they had been training together, Conor had developed a lean, powerful build with his naturally wide shoulders and strong arms having been concealed so often beneath his business suits. “You going to join us?” Conor called to everyone else. Gabriella shook her head with a smile. “Not today, sir. I will keep an eye on the path, but you all go ahead.” Parker nodded at Gabriella in acknowledgment before stripping off his own shirt and diving in. Kerrigan hesitated for a moment, “What about this sur

Monday morning Conor looked around the Vokrizin office before going downstairs to find Mr. Nuri. When he knocked on his office door, Mr. Nuri jumped up and came over to greet him. “What can I do for you, Mr. Brantley?” “Has a new real estate team lead been assigned to replace Anna?” Mr. Nuri considered Conor’s demeanor before saying, “Miss Brooks has a list of potential agents who are well versed in real estate law and have excellent skills that she believes will be a good fit for the main office. She informed me before she left that the three candidates would be available any time this week to meet. Should I call for them?” Conor sighed; memories of Anna’s meticulous attention to detail and ability to predict his needs flooding him. He knew, however, that her desire to head up the southern Targu office was likely more than just a location move. Too much had happened between them to simply be coworkers in the same office. “If you would, Miss Lokir and I would like to discuss some