The glass curtain wall of the Purdue Pharma headquarters reflected a shattered sky in the morning light. CEO James Whiteison stared at the "0.00" on the electronic stock ticker, a cigar burning straight through his custom-made twenty-thousand-dollar suit.
Whisky bottles were scattered across the conference room. Fountain pens bearing the engraved names of board members who had fled overnight rolled across the floor, their nibs still stained with the ink used to sign bankruptcy documents.
"We could have done legitimate business..."
Chapter 279