My phone buzzed just as I drove out of the Wellington Mansion. Maria’s name flashed across the screen. It had been almost a week since our last brunch, and though she’d left me a dozen WhatsApp messages—half updates, half gossip—I’d barely had the chance to reply.

I tapped the Bluetooth button, her voice immediately filling the car.

“How’s the new Chair of the MWC Annual Ball doing?” she squealed, her tone so high-pitched it nearly rattled through the speakers. “I watched your ...