Chapter 405

• Hayden had once been a titan in the energy sector a self-made magnate who'd built a global empire before quietly stepping away from the boardroom wars. Now semi-retired, he split his time between his luxury estate in Aspen and a penthouse in Manhattan’s Upper East Side, keeping just enough presence in the city to remind everyone he was still watching.
• He didn’t return to New York because he missed the skyline or the power lunches. He came back because he understood one thing about wealth: it draws sharks. And lately, Hayden had noticed the waters were stirring. Venture capitalists too eager. Ambitious executives forming alliances too quietly. He didn’t worry about Rafael or his family they had always been steady but the game was changing. Too many young players chasing too much power too fast.
• Tonight, at the annual corporate gala hosted at the Royal Meridian Hotel, Hayden pulled Rafael aside just before the final toast. The ballroom shimmered with old money and new ambitions, but Hayden looked relaxed, his tie loosened, his eyes sharp despite the scotch in his hand.