Chapter 167

• Rafael had secluded himself in his penthouse for several days, refusing visitors. The high-powered corporate world in which we both operated had a way of magnifying everything, turning even the smallest issue into a high-stakes affair. And right now, the stakes couldn't be higher.
• The calls had kept coming potential business partners, media inquiries, people looking for advice or favors but Rafael wasn't in the mood to entertain anyone. Every time someone knocked, he ignored them. When he finally emerged, the weight of everything was visible in his eyes. He wasn't the same man I had known from our early days of working together, the one who was always brimming with confidence and charm.
• I could see it in his posture as he walked into the room. Gone was the charismatic, easygoing Rafael who could handle anything with a smile. Today, he carried the pressure of decisions that would affect more than just his future; it would affect mine, too.