And as the cloying scent of her perfume filled my lungs, a chill went through me, and for a moment I could not breathe.

Thirteen years.

It had been thirteen years since I traded my soul for a seat at this table — thirteen years since I plunged into the world of nine-figure funds and rooftop parties that bled into dawn, thirteen years since I systematically demolished my own past to build a throne on the rubble.

I had everything the dream had promised.

Status.

The fearful respect of my rivals.