NOAH
The moment Cassian Wolfe stepped behind the podium, the atmospheric pressure in the ballroom seemed to drop.
The low hum of a hundred elite conversations died instantly, replaced by a silence so profound you could hear the faint clinking of silver against china in the far corners of the room.
He stood there, bathed in the harsh, white glare of the spotlight. He looked devastating.
The suit, the faint cuts, the absolute stillness of his posture, it all combined to create an image of terrifying, singular focus.
He didn't look like a man who had survived an accident; he looked like the architect of his own destiny.
"Good evening," he began. His voice didn't strain; it simply commanded. It was deep, a low-frequency vibration that seemed to bypass the ears and settle directly in the marrow of my bones.
"Partnerships are built on more than contracts and capital."
