The conference room reserved for high-profile client meetings sat on the thirty-second floor of the Blacksheep firm building, its tall glass windows overlooking the restless skyline of Chicago. Steel towers pierced the gray afternoon sky while the distant river reflected streaks of fading sunlight.
Damian stepped inside first, his briefcase in one hand and a thick case file tucked beneath his arm. Clara followed closely behind with her tablet and notepad already open, prepared to document every word.
At the far end of the table sat Alderman Louie Delaney.
The man looked calm. Too calm for someone facing federal corruption charges that could end his career and send him to prison for decades. He was in his late fifties, silver threading through his dark hair, his posture relaxed in the practiced manner of a politician who had spent years controlling rooms filled with cameras and reporters.
But Damian noticed something else immediately.
Confidence.
