Eight years later…

Jade stared at the computer screen with a dumbfounded look on her face. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. Scanning the subject of the email, she read each word very, very carefully in order to make sure that she wasn't reading something other than what she thought she was. But sure enough, it said what she'd thought it did.

FIRST MONTH SALES – AN AUTUMN AWAKENING – JADE INGRID

She wasn't sure what kind of sales figures she'd been expecting for this, her second novel, but not this. Jade read the line with the all-important number once again.

Total sales……….42

Forty-two copies. In the entire planet, only forty-two people bought her book. That was less than the hundred and five who'd bought Lilacs & Cinder, her debut novel. She did the math, subtracting about ten from her total for friends and family who'd likely purchased the book out of some sense of obligation.

Thirty people, she thought. How the hell did only this many people buy my book?

She thought back to the words of Ari Nussbaum, her agent, who swore to her up and down that An Autumn Awakening would be the one to crack four figures, the book that would put Jade Ingrid on the lips of just about everyone worth knowing in the New York City literary world.

Jade stood up from the cheap Ikea desk that took up far too much floor space in her tiny studio apartment and looked out of the window at the passing seven train, the train clanging down the tracks in a way that vibrated through the floor, as it always did. Off in the distance, between two large buildings just outside of her apartment window that otherwise blocked just about every bit of her view, Jade could spot a handful of the towers of Manhattan.

Leaning against the windowsill, she sighed, wondering if her decision to move here after grad school had been a mistake. After all, she'd been here for almost two years and hadn't moved up any further in her career than she'd been when she arrived. Sure, she'd managed to get a second novel published and had written a few articles here and there, but she was still in the same tiny apartment in the same crummy neighborhood, with the same measly total in her bank account.

She knew she had to figure out something fast. Pulling her phone out of her pocket, she dialed up Ari. As the phone rang, she thought of her parents, wondering if they'd been right about every step of her career, from getting her undergraduates in creative writing, to earning an expensive MBA in the same, to spending the last little bit of her savings moving to New York. Jade imagined having to go back to her parents, hat in hand, asking if she could move in for a bit while she looked for a "real job" somewhere nearby.

The thought made her sick to her stomach.

Finally, Ari picked up.

"Is that my little Miss Ingrid?" came the eager, avuncular voice on the other end.

"It's me," said Jade. "It's me, alright."

"I take it you've seen the sales for the latest, hm?"

"Sure did," said Jade, still pacing back and forth. "How the hell did this happen?"

"You know what, Jade?" asked Ari. "I got a real feeling about this one. I think that An Autumn Awakening is gonna be one of those slow burners, you know? One of those books that takes a little time to find an audience. After all, you know, you're still in the process of making a name for yourself."

"This is all exactly what you said about the first book. The one that actually sold more copies."

"It's, ah, um, this is a fickle business, you know? Not for the faint of heart. But you know what, kiddo, I believe in you. I wouldn't be representing you if I didn't. You've got some real talent, and if the rest of the world doesn't see that, then, well, they're missing out. And that's what I think!"

"Why do I have a feeling that there's going to be a ‘but'?"

"Um, well, because there is," said Ari. "Here's the deal: we're going to be doing some, uh, housecleaning, let's call it, here at the offices. Meaning the boys up top want us all to go through our little rolodexes here and get rid of the, um, dead weight."

Jade gulped. She didn't like where this was going one bit.

"And I'm happy to do it. The problem is, you see, a client is exactly who they're looking to let go. Not a known name, no sales – you know what I mean."

"Just drop the ax and be done with it," said Jade, wanting hurry up and get off the phone so she could start crying.

"No!" exclaimed Ari, cutting her off. "Let me finish, little lady. Like I said, I believe in you and I think you have some talent that the world needs to see. So, when a little opportunity fell into my lap, you were the first writer to come to mind."

"What kind of opportunity?" asked Jade.

"It's a new project; it'd be a very, very in-depth article for The New Yorker. I assume that you've heard of this publication?"

A quiet "yep" was all Jade could muster.

"The pay would be pretty good, but most importantly it'd be a way to get your name out there. And if I can go to the boys up top with something like this attached to your name, they'd be much, much less likely to drop you like a sack of old potatoes. You know?"

Part of Jade wanted to explode with excitement at the prospect of writing for The New Yorker. But she held herself in check, not wanting to get too ahead of herself.

"So…what's the topic? Can I just write about anything?"

"No, no, nooo," said Ari. "This is for a very particular subject. Have you heard of Sanderson Holdings, by any chance?"

"Yeah," said Jade. "I mean, kind of. I know they're a huge money firm in the city or something."

"Not just huge, the hugest," said Ari. "I mean, enormous. They've been on the up for a while, but over the course of the latest five or so years they've just gone stratospheric. More money than God, I tell you."

"And you want me to write about them?"

"Not ‘them'," said Ari. "'Him'."

Jade was a little lost.

"And who is ‘him', exactly?"

"We don't know, that's the thing," said Ari. "Some hotshot finance guy who's been with Sanderson for a few years. There're rumors going around that he's been the key to their success, the guy who's helped them go from ‘big' to ‘impossibly big'. And you're gonna write about him."

Jade felt a little tinge of anxiety of meeting with a man like this. She hadn't even heard a name or seen a picture and she was already feeling small.

"Who is this guy?" asked Jade.

"We don't have a name," said Ari. "That's the weird part."

"Then what, do I have to track him down or something? I'm a writer, not a detective, Ari."

"I know, I know," said Ari. "It's all been arranged; you, our noble journalist, will go to the Sanderson building and meet with our liaison, who'll set you up with this guy. I don't know what his deal is, or why he's been so damn secretive, and why he's now deciding to put his face out in the spotlight, but who cares, you know? We're the ones who're gonna benefit."

"OK," said Jade. "I think I can handle this."

"Good attitude," said Ari. "Because let me say this – I'm not giving you this gig because I'm such a nice guy; I'm giving it to you because I think you're talented and hungry enough to do a killer job. And I can't overstate just how big this would be for not just you, but little ol' Ari, if you're able to turn in some top-notch work."

"OK," said Jade, exhaling a deep, tense breath. "I'll do it."

"Good!" said Ari. "I'll set the meeting up for tomorrow at ten AM. You'll go to the front desk and tell them you're there to write about ‘Midas'?"

"'Midas'?" asked Jade.

"That's what people've been calling this guy," said Ari. "They think he's got some magic power to turn anything into gold. Figuratively speaking, of course."

"Naturally."

"Then let me go to work and get everything ready for you. Look nice, kiddo! Don't be afraid to show off the goods, you know? These finance guys are a sexually-frustrated bunch."

"Ari!" said Jade, equal parts offended and amused.

"Just sayin'! Now, don't let me down, kid. Tomorrow!"

* * *

The next morning, Jade found herself staring up at the massive Sanderson Tower. Located in the financial district, the enormous building of glass and steel was one of the latest additions to the Manhattan skyline, its sharp-tipped form seeming to stab right into the sky above. If the building was meant to impress and impose, Jade realized that it was having the necessary effect.

Just calm down, said Jade, taking slow deep breath after slow deep breath. It's just an interview; you've done these before at college. Just get them to talk about themselves – easy stuff.

But she couldn't help but feel beyond nervous. Knowing that her career was on the line was enough to prevent her from getting more than a wink or two of sleep last night, and between that and the megadoses of coffee she'd had, Jade wasn't exactly feeling on top of her game.

OK, she said, taking one last breath. Let's do this.

Jade walked with careful steps up to the giant glass revolving door, sharply-dressed men and women streaming in and out of it. Turning herself to the side and making herself small, she slipped in through the crowd and ended up in a cavernous, gorgeous lobby. Sun streamed in through the grand windows on the sides of the building, and a large, bubbling fountain dominated the interior.

To the left was a front desk staffed by a handful of young, gorgeous men and women, all busy with activity. Jade couldn't believe it, but she was feeling nervous just going up to them and confirming her appointment.

Get a grip, Jade, she told herself.

Walking with as long of strides as she could manage, Jade approached the front desk. The piercing, blue eyes of a young, pretty employee snapped onto her, the girl's expression one of barely-masked impatience.

"Um, hi," said Jade. "I'm Jade Ingrid; I'm here for the New Yorker."

"And?" said the girl.

"'And'?" asked Jade.

Oh, that's right, she reminded herself. The nickname.

"I'm here to see Midas."

That seemed to do the job. The girl turned to the computer nearest to her and, after a flurry of typing, nodded her head slightly.

"Go to the elevator furthest down the hallway. The one with the guards. They'll take you the rest of the way."

Guards? thought Jade.

"Ok, thanks," she said as she hurried in the direction that the girl indicated.

Jade headed down the long hallway of elevators and, sure enough, there was one elevator at the end flanked by two burly guards in dark suits and sunglasses. As Jade approached them, she noticed that they were as still and unflinching as statues.

"Um, hi," said Jade. "I'm here for the-"

"Head on inside," said the one on the left.

Before Jade could say another word, the silver doors of the elevator noiselessly slid open, revealing a small, but elegant interior. Jade stepped inside, and soon she was headed up – and to the top floor, if the digital display of blood-red letters was any indication.

When the doors opened up once again, a vast office space revealed itself to her. The place was a whirlwind of activity, with same sorts of well-dressed man and women as down in the lobby darting here and there, intense, purposeful looks on their faces. The office itself was a tasteful, modern space, the colors of jet-black and gunmetal gray dominating the design. Another long desk was right at the front of the reception area, and Jade made her way to it, her eyes tracking up to the sleek logo of Sanderson Holdings written in bold, clear font.

"Hi," said Jade to the attractive young man seated at the desk.

She gave her information and the receptionist looked it up. As he did, Jade looked around the office, peaking towards the back windows where the north stretch of Manhattan was visible, the view a tight grid of skyscrapers that seemed to spread out in each direction.

"You're going to be meeting with your subject in conference room B," said the young man. "Please go there now. And don't go wandering around."

Jade wondered for a moment if the man was joking, but his stern expression made it clear that he wasn't.

"Oh-OK-thanks," shot out Jade as she stepped away from the desk and down the hall.

Jade felt overwhelmed as she hurried down the hallway. She held her purse close to her body, trying to stay out of the way as best she could. And as she glanced at the expensive clothes that each employee was decked out in, she couldn't help but feel like the shabbiest girl in the entire building. Even the maintenance staff seemed to be dressed better than her.

Once she reached the conference room she, without thinking, grabbed onto the handle and pulled the door open in a quick tug. She was expecting to see an empty room. What she opened the door to, however, was anything but. The large room was packed with two dozen or so men and women, all in dark suits, and all seated along both sides of a long conference table of light brown wood, the city visible around them through the tall, glass walls. Every pair of eyes latched onto Jade as she stood in the doorway frozen stiff.

"Can we help you?" asked the man in front, a middle-aged man with silver hair who seemed to be in the middle of some sort of presentation.

"I'm, um, here for an interview."

The man flicked his wrist up, revealing a gold watch that, even from where she stood, Jade could tell was expensive.

"Come back in ten minutes."

And without another word, the man turned back to the crowd and began speaking once again. Jade shut the door behind her as quickly as she could, her face a deep crimson.

Her heart pounding, she checked her watch. Sure enough, she was on time. Scanning the nearby area, she found a small chair and sat down, hoping that no one would notice her. More time passed, and when Jade decided to check her phone again, she saw that was thirty minutes past when she was supposed to have her meeting.

Oh no, she thought. Am I running late? What if I'm in the wrong area or something and I miss out on the meeting? Oh-no-oh-no.

She got up and checked the conference room that she'd walked into. Sure enough, it was conference room B. But before she could return to her seat, she felt a tapping on her shoulder. Turning around on her heels, Jade was suddenly face-to-face with a stunning redheaded girl with ivory skin and ice-blue eyes.

"Are you Jade Ingrid?" asked the girl.

"That's me," Jade said.

"Then come with me."

Without another word, the girl turned and headed off. Jade followed close behind, part of her wondering if she was being led out of the building.

"So, are we going to see this ‘Midas' guy?"

The girl turned towards Jade, a conspiratorial look flashing on her pretty features.

"That's right," she said. "Do you know anything about him?"

"No," said Jade as the two of them continued on. "Well, other than what his nickname implies."

"Well," said the girl, "let me fill you in. He's basically the rock star of this place. One of our execs, um, Mr. Delahunt, I think, poached him from some state college in the Midwest or something, if I'm remembering correctly. I wasn't around at the time, but from what I heard everyone was wondering just what the hell Mr. Delahunt saw in this kid. I mean, after all, a firm like Sanderson can take the cream of the crop from any ivy league in the country, you know?"

"Right," said Jade, trying to be professional but secretly pleased that someone here was actually talking to her like a human being.

"Well, he got settled in he put to rest just about every question people had about his abilities. Midas managed, within a year of being here, to pull off a merger that brought us from a top-ten firm to a top-five one, and with the new capital made a series of deals that made just about everyone on top very, very rich. Well, richer than they already were."

"Good when the rich get richer," said Jade with a smirk.

"Normally I'd agree with the sentiment, but because Sanderson grew so quickly, they were able to expand into this brand new tower and bring on hundreds of new employees. Myself being one of them. So, I have Midas to thank for this gig."

They made their way further down the hallway, drawing closer to a large set of doors at the end.

"That's certainly an interesting nickname," said Jade.

"If you could take a look at the bottom lines of Sanderson for the last few years, you'd know it was the only name that fit."

The girl stopped, a dreamy look on her face.

"He's…just amazing. He's tough but fair, strong but considerate, and…um…"

The girl trailed off, her otherwise professional demeanor giving way to an expression that a middle-schooler might have when thinking about her crush.

"Yeah?" asked Jade, now very, very intrigued.

"He's, like, totally fucking gorgeous," she blurted out. "Like, beyond gorgeous. You'll see. Just try not to let it distract you. I mean, it took me, like, three months to not just stare at him with my jaw hanging open like this-"

The girl demonstrated this look, opening her mouth and eyes in dead shock.

"- and just looking like a total spazz."

"Wow," said Jade. "He must have his pick of whoever he wants here, then."

"You mean, like, to date?" asked the girl. "I mean, you're probably right; he could just walk down into the lobby and point at a girl and she'd be his. But he's not really much of a dater."

"The ‘married to his job' type?"

The girl suddenly became withdrawn, as though a topic that she didn't feel comfortable discussing had just been brought up.

"Something like that," said the girl, now eager to change the subject.

The girl then took a deep breath and regained her composure as the two of them came to a stop in front of the large doors at the end of the hallway.

"OK," she said. "We're here. Now, just so you know, he doesn't normally do stuff like this."

"Like interviews?"

"Like anything that doesn't involve work. I think some investors finally talked him into this interview, so I wouldn't expect him to be too chipper about the whole thing."

Then, she put her hand on the door.

"OK, ready?"

Before Jade had a chance to respond, the girl threw open the door, revealing a massive office dominated by a large oak desk in front of windows that afforded a view just as incredible as the rest of the building. A half-dozen or so employees were seated here and there, all chatting in hurried tones to one another as they typed at their laptops.

And standing at the head of the desk, his back towards the door, was a broad-shouldered man with deep blond hair. He stood stone-still, his face towards the city and his hands clasped behind his back. though the eyes of all of the employees in the room snapped onto Jade as soon as she entered, the man, this ‘Midas,' didn't budge an inch.

"Um, sir," said the girl. "Your interview is here."

"Conference room still full?" he asked. "Figures. The more of those executives you put in a room the less actual work they get done."

A few chuckles sounded from the employees. Jade furrowed her eyebrows slightly; something about the voice struck her as very, very familiar.

"All of you leave us," said the man. "I expect to have full, comprehensive reports after lunch."

Without a word of protest, the employees took off. The girl at Jade's side hurried off along with them, mouthing the words "good luck" as she did. Once the office doors shut, the room was dead silent aside from the soft ticking of an antique clock hung on the wall.

"With the New Yorker, huh?" asked the man.

"That's, um, that's right," said Jade, trying to compose herself but feeling very intimidated nonetheless.

Then, without another word, the man slowly turned around. And Jade gasped when as she laid eyes on him.

Those blue eyes, that blond hair, those stunning good looks – it was none other than Leon Sebastian.

"Well, then," he said, leaning forward and placing his hands on his desk, "let's get started then, shall we?"