ADRIÁN POV
The Verdi Hall is filled to the last seat. Five hundred executives are waiting for me to say something worthwhile—something that justifies the cost of their international flights and their nights in five-star hotels. The stage lights are brighter than I expected, designed so the speakers are fully illuminated while the audience remains in semi-darkness. The moderator—an Italian man with silver hair whose name I’ve already forgotten—is making introductions with that professional enthusiasm he has probably perfected over decades of corporate events.
Victoria is sitting in the front row, her posture impeccable, taking notes even though I haven’t said a word yet. She shot me a warning glance before I went onstage—a silent reminder that I need to be present, focused, brilliant.
