Book 1, Dying to Succeed, Part II

A near-death experience has left John Van Laan physically weakened and mentally shaken. Recognizing his vulnerability, a business partner, immediately launches an internal attack to replace him as the CEO of his company. Simultaneously, pressure mounts from the outside. An international competitor is intent on destroying his company using any means possible including violence. Despite his well-established, bachelor lifestyle, John weakens under the intense pressure and seeks solace from love. But his reluctance to express his true feelings betrays him and his girlfriend abandons him. New York City becomes the destination where he seeks the answers to his problems. But the Big Apple proves to be a far more volatile setting than he anticipated, a place where the anxious spoils of love and war will be cruelly scattered.