The lights were blinding.

Elena Rossi adjusted the microphone clipped to her lapel, keeping her chin high even though her stomach twisted like it was caught in a storm. The glass table in front of her reflected the white-hot glare of the studio spotlights, and the rows of cameras beyond it seemed to zoom in like vultures circling prey.

A business panel. Live on Italy's most-watched network. Millions of eyes. Investors. Journalists. Critics. Rivals.

She wasn't nervous. She was ...