Chapter 4 — Shadows of the Past

Gregory

The email sat in Gregory Blackwell’s inbox like a jagged thorn, its subject line ominously brief—“A Matter of Concern.” It blinked unread at the top of his meticulously curated priority list, an unwelcome distraction in a day already brimming with tight schedules. Gregory’s jaw tightened as he stared at the sender: Fredrick Vaughn.

His cursor hovered over the name, his irritation building. Fredrick had always been a master of insinuation, his words wielded to manipulate rather than inform. Gregory hated manipulation almost as much as he hated inefficiency, and Fredrick Vaughn represented both in their most insidious forms. With a sharp, deliberate click, Gregory opened the email, bracing himself for the inevitable annoyance.