Chapter 23 Summary

Roger Cortez turns to his network of hired enforcers, contacting a volatile pair through a burner phone to arrange a new assignment. The target is Steven Schroeder, who is to be injured, severely enough to be sidelined for months, but kept alive to deliver a chilling message. Negotiations over payment spark tension, and when Larry demands more money, Bravo, the stronger and more pragmatic partner, knocks him unconscious and takes control of the job. Cortez approves, providing the exact warning Schroeder must recite before being beaten. Bravo, calm and efficient, agrees to carry out the task and later deliver Larry to Houston, unaware that Cortez has already set plans in motion for a separate operative, “Remington,” to eliminate Larry once they arrive.

Meanwhile, Jennifer Bennett concludes her interview with Sandra Brown at GenaSeed, pressing the VP of Communications on the company’s controversial practices. Their exchange grows sharp, with Sandra defending GenaSeed as a solution to global hunger while Jennifer highlights the long-term stranglehold their products place on farmers. The meeting ends curtly, leaving Jennifer both frustrated and intrigued. As she leaves, she recalls her dinner plans—not only with Anthony Russell but also with Javon Morris. Realizing she must cancel one, she phones Javon to apologize. Though disappointed, Javon keeps his composure, and they tentatively agree to reschedule if Jennifer’s editor allows her to remain in St. Louis. Their conversation closes on a note of possibility, with Jennifer privately hoping new developments might buy her the time she needs.