The name on the card shot into his brain like a poison dart. Hayden Schwartz? The eldest son of the Schwartz family? The man was famously reclusive and worked in a highly confidential field, never making public appearances. What were the chances he''d be in a ce like this?


    It had to be a fake, and a ridiculously obvious one at that.


    As he reached this conclusion, Victor''s panic subsided, reced by an even hotter rage.


    "Do you even know who Hayden Schwartz is?" Victor sneered. "To impersonate him in front of me... you really must have a death wish!"


    Then, a brilliant idea struck him. While the Garner family had some standing in Era City, they were nothingpared to the Schwartzes. He''d never had a way to get close to the family, but now, an opportunity had just fallen into hisp.


    Victor pulled out his phone, scrolled through his contacts, and found the number for a director he knew on the board of Schwartz Group. He dialed without hesitation. "Hello?" the director answered. "Victor, it''ste. Is something important going on?" "It certainly is," Victor said quickly. “I''m at a bar, and I''ve run into someone impersonating Hayden Schwartz, using his name to cause trouble. I thought I should give you a heads-up, in case he''s damaging Mr. Schwartz''s reputation or business interests."


    “Impersonating Mr. Schwartz?" The director''s tone immediately sharpened. “Who would be so audacious? That has to be the most ridiculous thing I''ve ever heard.”


    More importantly, who would actually fall for it?


    "Right? That''s what I thought," Victor said, casting a cold nce at Hayden. "I have the man here with me now. Whatever Mr. Schwartz wants done, I''ll take care of it."


    ???


    an


    "Alright, hold on. I''ll call Mr. Schwartz right now," the director said, his voice graye: Given the sensitive nature of Mr. Schwartz''s work, imposter running around could be involved in some very shady business. Mr. Schwartz definitely needed to know.


    “Excellent.” Victor smiled obsequiously, adding, “If Mr. Schwartz has any


    instructions, just let me know. I''ll handle everything personally."


    He was making it clear that he, Victor Garner, was a man who could get things done


    for the Schwartz family. An association with them would elevate the Garners to a whole new level.


    After hanging up, Victor stood waiting, his eyes fixed on Hayden. "Hayden Schwartz? If you''re Hayden Schwartz, then I''m the Pope!"


    As the words left his mouth, a sharp, piercing ringtone suddenly filled the room.


    Every head swiveled toward Hayden. Before anyone could react, he had answered


    the call. A familiar male voice echoed through the room. "Mr. Schwartz."


    A chill shot down the spines of


    Victor and the captain. They weren''t deaf or stupid. The voice was unmistakably that of the corporate director they had just spoken


    Which meant the man standing before them... was the real Hayden Schwartz.


    "Go on," Hayden said coolly into the phone.


    on


    "Yes, Mr. Schwartz..." The director the other end, careful not to disturb him, quickly exined the situation. “About that poster shaft have Victor dispose of him for you?"


    "Victor?" Hayden raised his eyes, his gazending on the man whose face had turned a pasty, greenish-white. “And how does Victor intend to handle me?"


    He paused, a humorless smile touching his lips. "Oh, right. He wants to break my leg."