The Manhattan morning air was crisp, but Ethan barely noticed as he strode towards the glass-fronted entrance of the Midtown Convention Center. The building was already humming—security scanners beeping, event staff in navy polo shirts directing arrivals, photographers pushing through clusters of guests. A gigantic banner stretched over the front entrance:
INNOVATION & ETHICS SUMMIT 2025
"Rebuilding Trust in a Changing World"
He hadn't intended to be here. In fact, last week he would have thought stepping into a high-profile role like this to be equivalent to entering a lion's den with raw meat attached to his chest. The media would be waiting in ambush, industry observers too—some hankering for a handshake, others waiting to tear him apart with a smile of good manners.
But the previou
