Chapter 212

By the time Daniel and I made it to the shuttle, it was exactly ten. We weren’t even the last ones. Half the group trickled in like they’d just rolled out of bed. We didn’t leave for the venue until ten-thirty. The morning was back-to-back showroom visits. Too many logos, too many staged smiles, all blending into one long blur of beige carpet and mood lighting. After lunch, they herded us into a conference room for back-to-back brand talks. The chairs were hard, the AC was too warm, and the woman behind me kept rustling a plastic bag like she was trying to smuggle a raccoon out of there. Near the end, I noticed one of the staff leading a tall man to the front row. I hadn’t seen him yesterday, definitely would’ve remembered. Broad shoulders, clean navy suit, hair trimmed just long enough to look expensive. He looked familiar. I pulled out my phone and typed fast. ‘Fabrizio Marchetti,’ I murmured. Daniel leaned in. ‘Holy shit. Valmont & Cie’s CEO? I just watched his interview. He was in