Chapter 363

• Rafael and I entered the executive lounge, where Adrian, Everett, and several of the senior partners from the Pathfinder Group were already seated each a towering figure in the world of elite consultancy and venture capital. It was time to pay our respects, a symbolic gesture of acknowledgment in our tight, tradition-heavy circle.
• Everett, the group’s enigmatic founder, sat with his eyes half-shut in that unnerving way of his. It was never clear whether he was watching or resting but I knew better. That was when he saw everything. Every flaw. Every imbalance. Every ounce of pretense.
• I straightened my blazer and took a slow breath. This wasn’t just a formality. It was a test. One I’d failed before.