President Santos woke up earlier than usual, her mind already focused on the environmental conference that would take place in just one more day. The fate of Brazil's ecological future – and by extension, the country's political and economic stability – rested significantly in the hands of one man. Reynard Vale had the skills and international influence that could make the difference between success and continued environmental decline, but she couldn't shake her nervousness about whether everything was proceeding as smoothly as it needed to.
She had spent most of the previous evening reviewing reports and coordinating with various ministry officials about the conference logistics, but her thoughts kept returning to their international guests. Were they comfortable? Did they have everything they needed? More importantly, was Reynard adapting well to the local situation and beginning to understand the scope of the challenges they would be discussing?
