Jade Cabral strides into the 21st century as a golden guy. Brilliant and beautiful, with a California cool and a Harvard education, he is poised for wealth and success in New York’s Financial District.<br><br>But Jade harbors a secret flaw, a thirst for revenge against Se?or Rodriguez, the California landowner who deprived his father – Se?or’s out-of-wedlock son, John Virgil -- of his family’s rightful inheritance and place in the world. Jade thinks if he succeeds in New York, he can make up for every loss and humiliation his family has endured at the hands of Se?or. That searing quest leads him into the arms of Nan Spencer, a lovely, fragile socialite, and to the top of the financial world, the Twin Towers, on September 11, 2001.

Seamless Sky

He came to, however, when he heard the stabbing words: “And that’s why I’m pairing you with Malik.”


Jade maintained the impassive composure that was his best defense against the Kenneth Ransoms of the world and said “As you wish,” smiling cryptically.


“I’m glad you see it that way. Because your performance evaluation is going to be tied to his.”


This last revelation floored Jade, and it was all he could do to concentrate for the rest of the day. For his part, Malik—who never spoke to anyone in the office unless that person addressed him—acted as if he were doing Jade the favor.


Chapter 13