Savannah Delmare woke with a start. Through blurry eyes, she searched for the digital alarm clock that sat on the nightstand beside her bed. It was 7:45 a.m.

She quickly rolled across the bed and swung her feet to the floor as she stood, "Dammit! I'm gonna be late... again!"

The anger on her face was unmistakable as she rushed into the bathroom to get herself ready for work.

Savannah worked as a paralegal in an office downtown and was expected to be at her desk each day by 8:00 a.m. - sharp. Today was the fifth day this month that she was late. Her boss was becoming increasingly annoyed. There was now a real possibility of her losing her job.

Savannah quickly threw on a token application of makeup, brushed her hair and teeth before returning to the bedroom to dress. She glanced at the clock again. 7:52 a.m. She shook her head, "There is just no way in hell I'm going to make it to work on time."

She reached for the phone, but hesitated momentarily before picking up the receiver. Taking a deep breath, she punched in the number for the office.

"Good morning, Weisman and Company. How may I direct your call?"

"Hi, Darlene, it's Savannah. I'm running late this morning. The damn alarm didn't go off again. Can you let her know that I'm on my way? I'll be there as fast as I can. I'll work through lunch to make up the time."

Darlene giggled, "You certainly sound like crap, Savannah. It's Tuesday, I'd expect that on a Monday." She giggled again, "I'll smooth it over, don't worry. Just get here as fast as you can. She seems to have taken an extra dose of bitchatitol this morning."

"Thanks, Darlene, I'm heading out the door right now. I'll be there in twenty minutes."

Savannah hung up the phone. She quickly finished dressing and took a look at herself in the mirrors that served as the closet doors, "Well, it is going to have to do."

She headed out of the bedroom and into the kitchen where she quickly tossed a few pieces of fruit and a bagel into her lunch bag before heading for the front door of her apartment. As she opened the door, she hesitated for a moment and scanned the space to ensure all was in order. Then she checked her memory to confirm that everything she had turned on had been subsequently turned off.

Satisfied, she closed and locked the door and rushed to the elevator. The sound of the elevator arriving happened quickly and as she got inside, she pushed the button for the parking garage. As the doors on the elevator closed, she checked her watch. 8:00 a.m., and she cursed under her breath. As the elevator made the decent from the third floor to the basement, Savannah did an anxious dance as if somehow that would speed up the descent.

Finally the elevator came to rest and the doors began to open. Before they had a chance to complete their lateral journey, she was already on her way through. She checked her watch again as she half walked; half ran towards her waiting car.

Just as she was about to unlock the car door, the voice of an older woman questioned her from behind, "Excuse me. Are you Savannah Delmare?" Savannah turned with a start in the direction of the voice, "Yes. Can I help you? I am really late."

The older woman chuckled, "I don't think you really need to worry about that, dear."

She pulled her hand from her jacket pocket and pointed the gun it contained directly at Savannah's chest. Without hesitation the weapon reported two shots in quick succession and Savannah fell to the ground.

Standing over her, the older woman looked at her for a moment. Satisfied that her quarry was no longer amongst the living, she turned and casually walked toward the dark sedan that was waiting for her.

****

Angela Evans left the noise of the busy street behind as she passed through the large glass doors that lead into the ornately decorated lobby of what was the very heart of the Evans Empire. At twenty-four years of age and heiress to her late husbands' fortune and business interests, Angela had become accustomed to the quiet whispers and envious glances that followed her each day.

It has been three years since Philip died at the hands of her half-sister. Not a day had passed that she hadn't thought of him and the love they had shared.

Taking over his business interests had been difficult enough in the beginning, but the many whispers and the conversations behind her back only added to the challenges and hardened her resolve. Growing up, she had been well trained by her mother in matters of business and was capable of taking hold and running the enterprises that were virtually thrust upon her. She rose to the challenge with comfort and ease.

Angela had walked confidently through the deliberate opulence of this lobby to the elevators many hundreds of times over these years. With each day, she was fully aware of the beauty that surrounded her and the eyes that followed her. But today her mind was elsewhere. Today was a day she has been looking forward to and a day she had feared.

Her eyes were purposely fixed on the elevator doors as she made her way. Her long brunette hair flowed freely in the wake of the air as she moved and her high heels resonated off the marble floors.

As she stepped through the open brass clad doors of the elevator, her mind began to wander. This meeting has been the only thing on her mind since waking this morning, but as the time grew closer her thoughts began to fill with reflection and doubt.

As the doors closed, so did her eyes. She took a long deep breath and for an instant, felt a slight twinge near her right shoulder. Her hand instinctively rose to stroke the scar from the gunshot wound she received that day three years ago.

The sensation of movement rippled through her stomach as the elevator began its ascent to the 24th floor - the top floor of the building and home to the main corporate offices. With the assent, her mind rewound to those days. Her memory was as fresh as yesterday, and yet it felt like a lifetime ago.

Angela's desire hadn't seemed unreasonable to her at the time. She was engaged to Philip and her one biggest wish was to find her biological father before the wedding. She had merely wanted to learn more about herself. It was an innocent desire. Heading into marriage she believed she had the right to know more about herself and more about her own gene pool - things as simple as medical traits and history of the half of her family that she knew nothing about. She believed she deserved to know these things before she became someone else.

Her mother had warned her to leave it alone, but Angela had ignored her. She had pleaded with the clinic for the information, but they refused to yield. Everyone she contacted adamantly refused to assist her and she had ignored them all.

Angela recalled that first phone call from Dwayne Smythe, the clinic's computer tech. He had acquired remote access to all of the facility's records and was prepared to provide Angela with the information she wanted - at a price. Angela agreed to his terms and the information he produced, while not complete, was sufficient for her to hire a private detective.

As Angela remembered, she fought back the tears that were forming.

Weeks had passed. She and Philip had married and had had their honeymoon. Life was good and progressing. She was very much in love and happy. Eventually the call came to inform her that father had been found. She remembered how excited she had been at the news and in finally meeting him. A feeling of completeness had finally come to her.

Then she recalled the fights she and Philip had had about her father. She recalled discovering Philip's infidelities. She remembered learning that she and her good friend and bridesmaid, Lisa, shared the same biological father. Angela remembered the horror and pain that followed as a result of Lisa's jealousies.

A lot of good people died at Lisa's hand - innocent people that would still be alive today if Angela had just left well enough alone. If only this - if only that. If only is for regrets, but regrets were a luxury Angela couldn't afford. It was the reality of her past, but she knew she had to let it go if there was any hope for the future.

Angela's memories and the horror of those days were now a very large part of who she was. It was part of her life and part of her history. She pulled from those memories as needed to give her strength. But they were memories that had also made her hard - far harder than a young woman of her age should be.

Yet now as head of Evan's Holdings it was exactly that hardness and strength of purpose she needed. The self doubt and fears of a person her age sitting in such a large chair was something she couldn't afford. There was too much at stake for the convenience of innocence.

Angela had earned her MBA as she worked beside her mother in the family business. She was being groomed to take over that enterprise when her mother retired. She had a natural talent for business and with a healthy sampling of real world experience she was adequately prepared to learn the requirements of managing the helm of a large corporation. But life has a way of altering ones plans. The corporations of which she found herself in charge were not her family's businesses.

Angela's eyes opened in time with the elevator doors. She quickly regained her composure as she strode confidently into the receiving hall. Directly in front of her was the main reception counter. It was an inviting structure made of fine mahogany and stainless steel. The wall behind the counter was painted a deep, rich blue and mounted prominently, manufactured from brushed steel were the words, "Evans Holdings".

Two women stood behind the counter. As the elevator's arrival sounded, both had looked up to see Angela appear through the opening doors.

The younger of the two, Ali VanHausen, an attractive blonde marginally younger woman than Angela, spoke quickly and meekly, "Good morning, Mrs. Evans."

She then sat abruptly down and made herself look busy. Angela wasn't sure if Ali was intimidated by Angela herself, or just the symbolism of her position and power. In either case, it bothered her. Ali had made herself noticed around the office. She was young, but she had a way about her that demonstrated she was far more capable than the position she held warranted. Angela knew her as someone with potential and she had plans for her.

The older woman, Debra Stacy, smiled broadly and sincerely as she came around the counter to greet Angela. She carried two binders as she approached. One contained the documents Angela would soon need in the meeting and the other was for her own use.

"Good morning, Angela. You look very nice this morning. I've always liked that suit on you. That grey exudes control."

Debra was approaching fifty years of age and her natural physical beauty was still very evident. Her luscious brown hair had never seen chemical dye yet showed no signs of graying.

In all her years, she had never seen the need to alter the natural beauty she had been gifted. Her use of make-up too, was very subtle and skillfully applied.

Debra had quit smoking two and a half years ago but her eyes still wore the telltale bags of that habit. Even so, they didn't detract from her otherwise beautiful complexion.

Angela half smiled as the other approached, "Good morning, Debra. Thank you. Gray is my power color."

Since Angela had taken control of Evan's Holdings, Debra has been there for her. She is one of the few constants in these offices - an ally, a confidant, a mentor, and a shoulder for Angela - almost a friend. Of the company's original staff, Debra is the one that Angela feels she can trust the most. Debra had accepted the role of personal assistant and secretary and had adapted to that role exceptionally well.

It has become the normal routine for Angela and Debra to spend the first moments of each day chatting and laughing. Such engagement always set a pleasant mood and tone for what was to come. It was a routine Angela invariably looked forward to each morning. Today, however, she is simply not in that frame of mind. Debra quickly realized it and understood. She handed one of the binders to Angela, her smile never leaving her face.

"They are waiting for you in the boardroom."

Angela looked down at the binder as it entered her grip before returning her attention to Debra.

"Thank you, Debra", were the only words she could muster as she turned to head down the hall. Debra followed appropriately close behind.

Angela walked head high and with purpose as she passed the glass walled offices that lined the eight foot wide hallway that lead to the boardroom. This too was purposely designed. It gave the illusion of walking a gauntlet. Anyone making this journey from main reception to the boardroom would have a feeling not unlike walking the aisle in a church or some such place. There was a definite feel of being guided down a path towards a place of significant importance through a sea of eyes that looked up as one passed.

The foot falls of Angela's high heels were silent in the richly woven burgundy carpet. She noticed the silent contrast to the marble only moments ago and the silence was disturbing to her. She felt as if she was sneaking up on something. It was almost sinister. She shook off the feeling. She was confident in what she was doing and knew she had no reason to think she was up to anything ominous.

As she approached, she saw Simon Bonder's large frame in front of the heavy oak doors that lead into the boardroom. The wood and Mr. Bonder's frame stood as a sharp image of destination at the end of the hallway.

Noticing Angela, Mr. Bonder stopped pacing and watched her approach. Arriving in front of him, he reached out and wrapped Angela in a full, warm hug.

Mr. Bonder had been working for a private law firm for many years. He had been the attorney for Angela's family for more years than she had been alive. When Angela took over Evans Holdings, Mr. Bonder left that firm to come and work exclusively for her.

Her mother, Elaine Michails, and Mr. Bonder had married a little more than two years ago. Angela suspected her mother had much to do with Mr. Bonder's decision to come to Evans Holdings.

In any event, she was very glad to have him at her side. He had always been someone she could depend on to be absolutely honest with her and someone she could trust without question. But even with that, Angela could not bring herself to call him anything other than Mr. Bonder. It was a matter of long respect of him.

As Mr. Bonder stepped back from the embrace, he placed his large, strong hands gently on her shoulders and rubbed them lovingly as he looked into her eyes. "They are all in there. Are you absolutely sure this is what you want to do, Angela?"

The timbre of his voice clearly illustrated the concerns he was harboring. Mr. Bonder had been there for Angela and her mother throughout the ordeals three years ago and had serious reservations about Angela's current course of action. This was an acquisition of which the logic escaped him.

Angela nodded, "Yes." She paused momentarily, "This is something that is very important to me. It's something I must do. Please don't try to talk me out of it."

Mr. Bonder nodded with a half smile, "All right then. Let's go."

He released his grip on her and turned to the main doors. "She has an entourage with her. A couple lawyers, a secretary and a couple others I'm not really sure about."

He snickered to himself at that. Angela nodded, but it was so subtle it went unnoticed and they entered the room together.

The boardroom was a powerful looking place. The walk from the main doors to the nearest end of the oversized mahogany table was a dramatic twenty feet with the same distance from the other end of the table to the windows. The table was the focal point and was placed in the middle of the room with fifteen feet of space between the table and each of the two side walls.

The walls themselves were paneled in mahogany that reached from the burgundy carpet under foot to the antiqued copper clad ceilings above. The floor to ceiling windows at the end of the room allowed for a magnificent view of the city and the ocean beyond. It was difficult to walk into this room and not feel a certain degree of awe and intimidation.

Even after all the years Angela had been in this room it still made her feel uneasy. Framed by the large central pane of glass was an overstuffed leather chair. It was symbolically and physically the head of the table. It was the chair Philip had sat in on a great many occasions. To Angela the appearance of that chair placed in that position within this room was almost that of a throne - The ruler overseeing the empire.

Ms. Jennifer Largo and her entourage sat on the right hand side of the table, with Ms. Largo seated closest to the head. Ms. Largo was clearly in her mid fifties. Her hair was nicely groomed but her makeup didn't hide the strains and exhaustion she wore on her face. She was well dressed and exuded professionalism. She had the decided look of a seasoned veteran in business.

Seated next to Ms. Largo were her lawyers, the senior of the two sat directly next to her. He was an overweight individual with gray hair and a battle-warn face. His pinstriped suit looked as though it would be quite nice on someone else.

The younger man seemed far slicker and somewhat inexperienced. Clearly he was an overly confident young man looking to make a name for himself. Next to him were two adequately dressed men. Angela thought perhaps they were silent partners as they appeared somewhat timid and impatient.

Next to them was an attractive young woman. Angela believed her to be the secretary as Mr. Bonder had pointed out. She was casually absorbing the surroundings and didn't appear to care one way or the other what was going on.

Angela smiled pleasantly to each in turn as she continued to the last chair on the left of the table and sat down. Mr. Bonder sat in the chair next to her, and Debra took a chair at the far end closest to the door.

In spite of all the meetings Angela had conducted in this room, she was still unable to sit in the chair at the head of the table. She was simply more comfortable taking the first chair to the left. She glanced at Philip's chair briefly and shook her head before returning her attention to the others present.

Mr. Bonder spoke as Debra sat down, "I am Simon Bonder, counsel for Angela Evans, CEO of Evans Holdings."

The senior attorney for Ms. Largo spoke next, "I am Ronald McNeil, counsel for Ms. Largo, CEO of New Dawn, Ltd."

Angela gave her full attention to Ms. Largo and spoke solidly, "I am very pleased to meet you, Jennifer. I hope we can come to an agreement that is mutually beneficial."

Ms. Largo smiled politely but didn't offer any words in return.

Instead Mr. McNeil began, "We have reviewed your offer, Mrs. Evans. In essence we are prepared to negotiate. There is, however, language we wish to clarify. If you all could turn to page 4, paragraph 8."

With that McNeil opened the binder in front of him. The others took this as their queue and began to open their own copies.

Ms. Largo spoke without opening her binder. Her voice was controlled and professional, "Mrs. Evans, I am a bit confused as to why you would wish to purchase my clinic. Let's face it - you and your family have lost a great deal as a result of your past actions concerning my clinic. As you well know, our balance sheet isn't exactly a thing of beauty, either. Frankly I don't understand your motivation."

McNeil quickly put his hand on top of Ms. Largo's in an attempt to silence her.

Angela looked down at her binder and fought to hold back the memories that tried to push their way forward. She focused her thoughts and after a brief moment she took a deep breath and returned her eyes to Ms. Largo.

"Jennifer, you are correct. This has been a very difficult period for me and my family. Many around me believe as you do that this is a foolish move on my part.

However, I am a sperm bank child and my parents were clients of New Dawn. That is simple fact. I firmly believe in what New Dawn does and what it stands for. I have to. To deny its significance would be to deny my own."

Angela paused for a moment to strengthen her resolve, "Your financials clearly illustrate a business in very serious difficulty. You are on the verge of closing your doors. I don't want to see that happen. I am fully aware that a very significant reason for your current situation is the result of the bad publicity New Dawn received three years ago. You have not recovered."

"I believe Evans Holdings can turn New Dawn around and make it a viable operation once again. I don't think it is a quick or easy fix by any means, but we have the resources to carry New Dawn until we can get it back into the black. I am so confident in fact, as you have seen in the offer, I am prepared to pay you fair market as New Dawn stood thirty-six months ago. You personally will not lose a cent because of what has happened over the last few years."

Ms. Largo eyes took on a suspicious cast. She stared hard into Angela, "Yes, Mrs. Evans, your offer is very generous - one that I would be hard pressed to refuse, especially now. My attorneys want me to be quiet and let them do the talking, but frankly, New Dawn is my baby, and I have to know that it will continue and survive. I need to know what your intentions are."

"Discretion is the cornerstone of New Dawn and the industry as a whole. I can't help but think your intentions are less than honorable."

Angela laced her fingers together on top of her binder, and cast her eyes downward as she allowed a quick moment of reflection. Mr. Bonder felt the urge to put a comforting arm around Angela's shoulder but fought it off.

Angela felt her own doubts rising and fought them off. She needed to be strong and to make her points quickly.

Angela lifted her head and returned her regard to Ms. Largo, "Jennifer, I understand your concerns. This is a business decision. I admit it is one that is decidedly emotional."

"Fact - my very existence is the direct result of New Dawn. I would not exist if not for your facility. That gives me an emotional connection to New Dawn that can't be ignored."

"Fact - your own employee compromised your security and sold me information to which I simply should not have had access. I admit that I played a significant role in that, but by the same token, I was not his only customer."

"A lot of people had their worlds turned upside down because of the actions of Dwayne Smythe and the fact remains he was able to compromise your security and profit from it."

"Fact - My half sister, Lisa, was also a person resulting from your facility and as it came to light, she was born into a sexually abusive environment. One has to wonder what was overlooked in the screening process of your clients for that to have occurred."

"That upbringing made her insane. Her jealousy of me and my life became a driving force that caused considerable damage. Her involvement with Dwayne Smythe gave her the ability to attack me and my world. She was responsible for the death of my husband, my biological father and his sister, my body guards and she very nearly killed me."

"A lot of bad things happened back then. A lot of worlds were very seriously affected. All of it stemming from the breach of your security. I understand your desire to want your business to continue, but let's be realistic. In your hands, people will continue to doubt your ability to maintain their privacy and operate with discretion."

Angela paused and watched the hard-lined business face of Ms. Largo change to one of masked guilt. Angela felt a surge of confident power and continued, "Can you imagine the publicity when I announce my acquisition of New Dawn? Can you imagine what people will think when they realize that I have taken over operations? Don't you think that with all my family and I have been through as the result of your management that perhaps people will believe I will work to ensure that New Dawn will be the most safe, secure and discrete operation available? People will believe that I am one hundred percent behind the business and that I will take every measure to ensure nothing like what happened to me, will happen to them."

"You can't buy that kind of publicity and brand trust now can you Ms. Largo? You want your business to survive, grow and prosper. I can certainly understand that. Frankly, I do too. However, I think we both know that the only way for that to happen is if I take it over completely. No one, not you or anyone else on the planet for that matter, is in a position to turn New Dawn around like I can."

"I do feel a degree of responsibility for your current situation. Of course I do. My offer absolutely reflects that. But let there be no mistake, this is purely a business deal. New Dawn is a company offering a product I believe in. I feel confident that I can take it from its current position and put it in a position where I will recoup my investment and then some. We would not be here if I didn't believe that completely."

With that Angela sat back in her chair. She was very pleased with herself but made certain her emotion wasn't visible as she maintained stoic eye contact with Ms. Largo.

Ms. Largo returned Angela's stare for what seemed an eternity before she spoke. Her voice was almost sheepish, "Yes, Mrs. Evans. Those very thoughts have gone through my head many times; many times."

"It is hard for me to accept that the business I fostered and nurtured is now better handled by someone else. I have to agree that you are the one to take New Dawn to its next level of existence."

"My attorneys wish for me to sit here, negotiate and play hard ball and try to squeeze as much out of you and your deep pockets as I possibly can. Frankly, I'm tired. The last three years have been hell. I have been working hard every day and I just see the business slipping away."

Ms. Largo looked down at the binder in front of her for a moment then nodded as she looked back towards Angela. "Your offer is exceedingly generous. I doubt I would be so generous if the tables were turned. I am satisfied that you will do right by New Dawn."

She paused and a single tear appeared in the corner of her eye. "I believe we have a deal."

Angela allowed a sympathetic smile as she leaned forward and placed her elbows on the table. Her voice was far softer and feminine, "Thank you, Jennifer. I will do everything in my power to ensure you never regret this decision."

She looked deep into Jennifer's eyes and did all she could to ensure Jennifer could read her sincerity. "Shall we leave the lawyers to hammer out the language?"

Ms. Largo smiled and even allowed a small chuckle, "Yes, Angela. Let's leave them to it."

With that both women rose and headed out of the boardroom and down the hall to the elevators. Ms. Largo pushed the down button and turned to Angela. "I am very sorry, Angela, for all that has happened to you and your family."

Angela could see her sincerity and smiled politely, "Thank you, Jennifer. I wish you all the best in the future."

She reached out her hand to the other. Jennifer saw it, but stepped through instead and gave Angela a warm hug that felt almost parental. As the elevator announced its arrival, Jennifer stepped away from Angela and without another word entered the car. As the doors closed, Angela's smile left her face. She turned and headed down the hall to her office.