I beckoned to a waiter, took a glass of champagne, and inhaled deeply. The bubbles tickled my nose, and the cold liquid provided a momentary anchor. Time to move.
I spotted a group of potential investors near the marble fireplace and hurried over to them—at a good pace, though. I didn't want to seem desperate, even if my heart was pounding a frantic rhythm against my ribs.
"Mr. Sterling, Mr. Vance," I said, offering a firm handshake. "A pleasure to see you both."
Nathan Sterling, a man whose venture capital firm could solve half my problems, looked at me with a pained sort of politeness. "Shawn. Interesting week you've had."
"Business has its ups and downs, Nathan," I replied, trying to steer the conversation toward the new tech initiatives we were drafting. "We’re actually looking in
