The first official dinner of the summit began exactly on time, which in Chris's opinion was proof that the universe had no respect for personal chaos.
The state dining hall had been set up with the kind of brutal elegance that could only be created by people with terrifying budgets and contemporary royal institutions.
The room was long, high-ceilinged, and lit in warm gold from recessed architectural panels and suspended sculptural chandeliers that looked minimalist until one noticed they were probably worth more than smaller embassies. Glass walls along one side reflected the city lights back at the room, turning the entire space into a polished box of power, money, and curated diplomacy.
The central table arrangement had been abandoned in favor of several connected formal sections, allowing conversation, cameras, and strategic proximity to coexist without anyone having to admit that seating charts were now a recognized weapon of statecraft.
