The morning had been thick with a lingering tension that seemed to hover over the business department like a heavy fog. As Max moved through the corridors, his ears were constantly tuned to the low-frequency chatter of his peers. The topic of the evening's senior-led event was on everyone's lips, spoken about with a mixture of excitement and a very distinct, underlying dread.
'I really didn't want to go,' Max mused, his mind sifting through the strategic implications of his presence. 'If the seniors are hosting, it means Donto will be the guest of honor. While it's the perfect opportunity to gather intelligence on his social standing and influence, I have no baseline for how Donto would react to seeing me here on his turf.'
