Winter settled over Manhattan in gray slush and hard wind.

From the windows of the Sterling Plaza Penthouse, the city appeared distant and sterile. Traffic crawled between towers, and dirty snow gathered along the edges of rooftops.

Daniel Sterling sat alone before the

The winter rain in Saint-Germain-des-Prés had turned to a biting, freezing sleet that rattled against the high iron skylights of Evelyn’s foundry studio.

Inside, the only light came from the blue hiss of a portable gas heater and the single, stark halogen lamp positioned

The boardroom of Vanguard Holdings, located on the eightieth floor of a glass skyscraper in downtown Manhattan, was a battlefield disguised as a corporate sanctuary.

Daniel Sterling sat at the head of the long, polished mahogany table, his hands clasped loosely