Chapter 176

• ETHAN
• I adjusted my cufflinks again, the fourth time in the past five minutes. My reflection in the wide office window stared back at me—a sharp navy suit, crisp white shirt, tailored to perfection. Behind me, New York's skyline stretched into the distance, commanding and frenetic, mirroring the storm in my head.
• The Velmora presentation was flawless. I had dissected every single element of it and stitched it back together more times than I could count. Financials? Bulletproof. Growth charts, capital outlay, ROI projections? Tight. Even the creative slide transitions on the final pitch deck had been timed to precision.