Chapter 63 – The Structure He Built
Manhattan, New York – February 14, 2014 – 6:47 a.m.
Pearson Hardman – 51st Floor – Senior Partners' Office
The sounds of the city below were muffled by the building's thick glass walls. Manhattan was still slowly waking up, but at the top of Pearson Hardman, the day was already moving with the intensity of someone who doesn't know what it means to stop.
Logan Moore was already at the firm. Tailored suit, jacket hanging on the chair, light blue shirt with discreet cufflinks, and his gaze focused on a projection of financial charts.
Three years had passed since he left the DOD. And since then, his rise had been quiet but steady. Case after case, victory after victory, Logan had not only proven his worth he had redefined what it meant to be a lawyer at the firm.
Now, his name was on the wall of the partners' office. Not as a symbol, but as a presence that inspired and commanded respect.
Jessica walked in with a cup of coffee in her hands. She watched Logan from afar for a moment, and only then did she speak:
"You arrived before the sun."
Logan smiled, not taking his eyes off the projection.
"The sun is unreliable. I like to have an advantage."
Jessica sat down at the front of the table.
"It feels weird to say this after everything, but… you surprised me. Really."
"In a good way, I hope."
"In the best way. When I invited you to work here, I thought you would give us a reputation. What you brought was structure."
Logan finally looked away from her.
"The structure was already here. I just had to reinforce the right columns."
Jessica watched the projection with interest.
"Is this the case of the aerospace defense group?"
"Yes. The allegation of misuse of Pentagon funds in autonomous intelligence projects. And the emails…" — Logan turned the laptop and showed the screen — "confirm that the board knew about the irregular allocation."
Jessica took a deep breath.
— This could leak to the press.
— I've already prepared two scenarios. One, in case of a leak. Another, if we reach an agreement. In both, the public image will be controlled.
Jessica looked at him with veiled admiration.
— Three years. And now you have your own team. Office on the partners' floor. And a reputation that scares even Harvey.
Logan smirked.
— He wouldn't admit it even under torture.
She stood up.
— I need you at the meeting later today. The state attorney general wants us to take on a sensitive case. And he wants you to lead it.
— Did he mention your name?
— No. But the words "government", "confidentiality" and "integrity" were in the same sentence. I'll bet my Friday wine that you look like him.
9:15 AM – Partners' Room
The room was packed: Harvey Specter, Louis Litt, Dana Scott, Mike Ross, Rachel Zane all now integrated into this new era of Pearson Hardman, with Logan as the centerpiece. He sat to Jessica's left, his posture calm but his presence firm.
"Let's get started," Jessica said. "The attorney general's office is bringing us a case involving allegations of bid-rigging in public safety contracts. And, once again, they want Logan leading the defense."
Everyone looked at each other. Harvey blurted out,
"I bet he'll get it all sorted before the weekend."
Logan kept his tone:
"If we get it sorted before Friday, I'll keep my promise: a round of scotch on me."
Louis cleared his throat, a little anxious.
"How do you handle all this without… breaking down?"
Logan stared at him.
"Organization. And routine. And martial arts at 5 in the morning." Everyone laughed. But Rachel could see the deep look behind the joke. Logan carried a lot—and he did it almost invisibly.
11:40 AM – Logan's Office
Rachel walked in with a folder.
—Here are the documents from the security company involved in the contract with the state. You'll want to review them carefully. There's something wrong with the second clause.
—Thank you, Rachel. And congratulations on your new position. I saw that they named you a permanent junior counselor.
She smiled, visibly touched.
—You have a lot to do with this.
Logan looked at her kindly.
—You deserve it. You just needed room to grow. And now you have it.
2:10 PM – Call with the attorney general
—Dr. Moore, thank you for taking on this case. Your reputation in the legal field is… practically legendary.
—I appreciate it, but I'd rather just be a lawyer. The case?
—The Sentinel Protection Group has won three bids in a row. There is evidence that the notices were compiled with internal information. And the surveillance systems provided were substandard.
— And is there any evidence?
— An anonymous whistleblower gave us a flash drive with recordings of internal meetings.
Logan sat back.
— Send everything. I'll sign a confidentiality agreement and start today.
5:50 p.m. – Logan's Office
Alone, Logan listened to the audios on the flash drive. Voices talked about "skipping steps," "pleasing committee members," and "disguising technical reports." In one of them, a female voice said:
"Moore is the one who worry. If he gets into this, it's over."
Logan paused the audio. He stared at the wall. He knew that being a senior partner wasn't just about status. It was about influence. And about the weight his name now carried in every room he walked into.
But he wouldn't let that distance him from the real him. He was still the same 17-year-old who wanted to study law to help his parents. He was still the Harvard student who swore he wouldn't forget his roots. He was still the DOD intern who stayed up late understanding wartime legal systems. And most of all, he was still Logan Moore.
8:12 PM – Logan's Apartment
He got home late. The minimalist, neutral-toned apartment mirrored his mind clean, orderly, quiet. He took off his jacket, loosened his tie, and poured himself a black coffee. He called Thomas.
"Hello?"
"Hey," Logan said. "Just calling to see if you're still alive."
"Did you see the game?" Knicks?
"I lost. But if you say it was spectacular, I'll regret it."
Thomas laughed.
"Do you still feel weird about the title 'senior partner'?"
"No. But I worry about becoming something I'm not."
"You won't. Because anyone who knows you knows you're the same guy. Just in a more expensive suit and a higher walk."
Logan smiled.
"Thanks, brother."
Chapter 64 – A Name That Matters
March 3, 2014 – Monday – 8:03 AM
Pearson Hardman – Advanced Strategy Room – 50th Floor
The room was artificially lit. Not by necessity the sun beat down brightly outside but by choice. Logan preferred the controlled coolness of white light when dealing with sensitive files.
In the center of the table, three open folders:
Sentinel Protection Group acquisition reports;
Transcripts of internal meetings;
Printouts of encrypted emails recovered by Rachel and forensics.
Beside them, a tablet with crossed-out notes, red and blue markings. Logan sat, focused, jacket off, white shirt rolled up to his elbows, coffee beside him, no sugar.
Rachel walked in slowly, holding a manila envelope with a state seal.
"This was sent from the district attorney's office. Additional information. But… something's odd."
"What?" — Logan asked, taking the envelope.
— It didn't come by official mail. It came with a civilian courier. And no return address.
Logan frowned. He opened it carefully.
Inside, there was a flash drive and a typed sheet of paper:
"Be careful what you're messing with. Not every system wants to be patched. Sometimes, it swallows you up."
Rachel read over his shoulder. She swallowed hard.
— Logan…
He closed the envelope and looked at her calmly.
— I've been threatened in more creative ways. In three different languages.
— But we're not talking about war. This is here. Inside the country. In civilian life.
— That's exactly why it's even more serious.
He took out his cell phone and dialed a number.
— Yes, I'm Logan Moore. I want you to do a full scan of this flash drive. Anonymous. It may contain malware. I'll have it back in 30 minutes. Address of the firm's forensic lab.
Rachel hesitated.
"Are you going to back down?"
Logan stared at her.
"I never back down. But I play it safe now."
10:22 AM – Meeting with Jessica and Harvey
"Are they threatening you directly?" Jessica asked, after Logan explained the contents of the envelope.
"Indirectly. But the warning was clear. Someone is upset."
Harvey stood with his arms crossed.
"And what are you going to do?"
"Continue. But with strategy."
"They're big, Logan," Jessica said, looking at the Sentinel dossier. "Contracts with the state, former federal agents as consultants, connections to politicians."
"And maybe even people in the justice system itself," Logan added.
Jessica sighed, but then smiled softly.
"It was expected. You've been stirring up hornet's nests since the day you stepped foot here.
"And I always used the sting against them," Logan replied.
1:40 p.m. – Forensic Lab – Pearson Hardman
"Logan," said Anika, the firm's digital specialist, "the flash drive had layers of encryption, but it also contained… truth. Lots of it."
She turned the monitor toward him. Several scanned documents, internal Sentinel memos, contracts with secret clauses, and… spreadsheets with undeclared donations to political campaigns.
"This is bribery," Logan said.
"Disguised as 'voluntary contributions to community events.' But look at what really matters."
She opened a folder with audio recordings.
"This is a meeting of Sentinel's internal security committee. Listen."
"If Moore keeps investigating, he'll connect the line to Finley's office. And that's it. He's too methodical. Too quiet. Too smart."
Logan remained silent. After a while, he murmured:
"They're right."
3:20 p.m. – Meeting Room with the Attorney General
"Logan," the attorney began nervously, "I've been hearing chatter. People saying you're digging too deep. That you might expose names that shouldn't be exposed."
"Are you asking me to stop?"
"No. But I'm telling you that if you keep going, you're going to mess with people who fund campaigns, control departments, and have ways to retaliate—politically or personally."
Logan stood up slowly, adjusting his cuffs.
"With all due respect, attorney general… I don't work for fear. I work for the truth. And if big people are afraid of it, then so be it."
5:50 p.m. – Logan's Office
Mike walked in without knocking.
"Are you really going to see this case through?"
"Of course you are."
"They're talking about you in the courthouse hallways. Like… with respect. But also with caution. Or even fear. There are lawyers who say they don't want to be on the other side of the table with you."
Logan raised an eyebrow. "Fear isn't what I'm looking for. But if it helps someone think twice about cheating, so be it."
Mike sat down. "You're not just good. You're different. When you walk into a room, the mood changes."
Logan smiled. "Then I'm on the right track."
10:14 p.m. – Logan's Apartment
In the silence of the night, Logan reviewed his notes by the light of a soft lamp. His cell phone vibrated. Unknown number. He answered. "Moore."
"Are you really going to destroy everything for integrity?" a male voice said. He hung up.
Logan closed his eyes.
He stood up. He went to the dresser drawer. He took out the holster where he kept his legal weapon. The same one he had discreetly carried since his days in the DOD. He checked the safety, inspected it. Everything was as it should be.
He put it back.
He took a deep breath.
And smiled.
"Now I know I'm close."
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