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Nathaniel Cole liked to believe his life made sense on paper. If you worked hard enough, saved carefully enough, and kept your head down while everyone else chased shiny distractions, things usually worked out. That approach had gotten him pretty far—thirty-two years old, a good job at Hargrove Dyn…

Nathaniel Cole liked to believe his life made sense on paper. If you worked hard enough, saved carefully enough, and kept your head down while everyone else chased shiny distractions, things usually worked out. That approach had gotten him pretty far—thirty-two years old, a good job at Hargrove Dynamics, a sleek apartment high above the city, and a reputation as the guy who always had a plan. But right now, one stupid number refused to cooperate. The company’s rules said any candidate for CEO ne