Chapter 1: The Workshop(New York, USA)The conference center rose from the Manhattan street like a declaration—steel, glass, certainty. Inside, ambition moved with practiced ease. Badges flashed names and institutions; conversations overlapped in confident arcs; success wore tailored suits and measured smiles.Suhani paused at the entrance, adjusting the strap of her bag, allowing herself a single steadying breath. She had learned the art of arriving without announcing herself. Wealth had taught her restraint early—how attention could become a tax, how expectation could become a cage. She preferred clarity to applause.She chose a seat near the aisle. Not too close. Not too