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can have both, which may work for a while. But someone who is truly reaching for spiritual height will eventually have to choose between truth and lies. Truth must be chosen. When money’s involved, the decision becomes harder.”
     
         Logan reached for his brandy and studied the amber liquid. “I disagree. If a person knows himself, he knows what path must be chosen. Money doesn’t corrupt, Chandler. People do.”
     
         “Perhaps.” She settled back on the couch. “I think we talk too much about me. I want to know how the ‘man of steel’ received his nickname.”
     
         He groaned. “If I ever get my hands on the journalist who wrote that article he will sorely regret it. I feel like I should wear a cape and be called Clark.”
     
         Chandler laughed. “Oh, your reputation can’t be that bad,” she teased. “Your last coup with Larson Securities was very successful. Investors knock down your door to get a hint of your next target.” She swished the liquid around in her glass. “Now, I know you started off as a stockbroker and cultivated some high number of accounts, but you’ve expanded since then. You’re buying corporations outright now.”
     
         He nodded. “I look for companies that are solid but in trouble. I buy them out, fix them up, and make more money. If I decide it’s not profitable, I just take the business apart and sell it off.”
     
         “Like Richard Gere in Pretty Woman .”
     
         Amusement gleamed in his eyes. “Yes, just like the movie.”
     
         “In such a competitive market you’ve made quite a name for yourself.”
     
         “I’ve managed.”
     
         “You’ve more than managed. But you didn’t tell me how you got your nickname.”
     
         A shadow passed over his face. His voice chilled when he finally spoke. “Does it matter?” She blinked in surprise. “No. I just thought we’d get to know one another. Since we’ll be working together, of course.”
     
         “Of course.” A muscle worked in his jaw, but he seemed to want to answer her question. “When I first started L&G Brokerage, I needed to score some particular deals in order to keep afloat. Steele Investments was an up and coming company earning a lot of press. I decided if I was able to acquire them, I could easily double my company’s profits.”
     
         The name skittered on the edge of her memory. “Wasn’t that a family owned company?”
     
         “Yes. I researched all the members in the family. I learned their strengths and weaknesses, in their professional and private lives. It took me months, but I finally found the weak link.”
     
         “What?”
     
         “The younger brother was a gambler. Oh, they kept him tightly under wraps, but he started gambling with some of their investors money. His family couldn’t do too much since he owned a large chunk of stock, and of course, jail was out of the question. So, I hired a friend of mine to pose as an investor and meet with him personally.”
     
         A cold chill raced down her spine. “You tempted him with money, didn’t you?”
     
         He spoke with no emotion. “I gave him a million dollars to invest.”
     
         She gasped. “You had that much capital available?” A slight smile touched his lips as he took a sip of brandy. “That was everything I had. I took a risk, and it payed off.”
     
         “He took the money.”
     
         Logan nodded. “Yes. His family found out too late. I offered them a deal. If they sold me the company, he’d stay out of jail. They signed the papers that week.”
     
         She gripped the stem of her glass tighter. “Did the press ever find out?”
     
         Logan shook his head. “They didn’t find out about the gambling. But after I signed the deal, the brother talked to a reporter and told him I practically threatened them to sign over the