Aside from the four people who had entered earlier, two more boarded the elevator on the 20th floor and rode it to the 34th floor. With the constant flow of people coming in and out, I was pushed all the way to the far end. That was probably why Terrence didn’t notice me when he stepped inside.

“Good morning, Sir,” the people around us greeted him politely as they exited one by one.

“Good morning,” he replied simply—but even in that single phrase, authority resonated in his ...