The Hale Family held a preeminent position in Aethelgard. In years past, the Hales and the Sterlings had been evenly matched in the business world, but ever since Seraphina Sterling's father, Orson Sterling, passed away, control of The Sterling Group had fallen almost entirely into Owen Sterling's hands. Owen Sterling was a man of immense ambition, but his ability was in inverse proportion to it.
To make matters worse, Seraphina Sterling's generation of the family had no sons—only two daughters. The Hale family, on the other hand, had two sons, Justin and Zion Hale, as well as a daughter, Rainie Hale; they were blessed with a full family. Justin Hale was already a renowned young prodigy in the business world, meaning the Hale Corporation had a worthy successor. The Sterling Group, by contrast, faced a much grimmer outlook. The other prominent families could already foresee the fate that likely awaited it.
