Chapter 1: The Glass Fortress
I had engineered my existence to mirror a luxury skyscraper: sheer, impenetrable, and suspended far above the dirt of ordinary lives. Every morning commenced with an uncompromising ritual. The Atlantic ocean crashed mutely beyond the triple-glazed windows of my penthouse, while my espresso machine hummed, timed to the exact second of my awakening. I draped myself in bespoke wool, knotting silk ties that cost more than a common laborer’s monthly wage.
