NOAH
The venue was the Llotja de Mar, a historic building that looked like a fortress of marble and prestige. The grand ballroom was lit by massive crystal chandeliers that cast a shimmering light over the hundreds of guests already milling about.
Outside, the red carpet was a chaotic sea of flashbulbs and shouting.
"Mr. Hendrix! Over here!"
"Alex, can we get a statement on the Wolfe-Hendrix merger?"
I slipped out of the car and moved quickly past the media line. I was just another face in a suit, a shadow in the wake of the giants. No one called my name. No one thrust a microphone in my face. I preferred it that way.
Inside, the opulence was overwhelming. The air buzzed with the hum of power, money, and influence. Men in tuxedos that cost more than my first car laughed with women in gowns that flowed like liquid silk. A string quartet played somewhere in the distance, the music struggling to be heard over the cacophony of elite socialization.
