The morning after Paris felt deceptively calm.
Success always does.
The headlines were favorable. Financial networks praised the cohesion of the summit. Analysts described the acquisition as strategic rather than aggressive. My name circulated with words like disciplined, visionary, composed.
Public approval can be dangerous.
It creates the illusion that resistance has ended.
I knew better.
Adrian and I flew back to New York that afternoon. Eleven hours suspended between continents. Eleven hours where the world could shift without our immediate control.
I used the flight deliberately.
Financial reports. European integration schedules. Legal compliance summaries. Internal restructuring timelines.
Distraction through preparation.
Adrian watched me for a long time before speaking.
