The Count is Good

Édouard was everywhere. Startups. TV sets. Excellence awards. He was 38, had a penthouse in Miami and two Rolexes. His life was as meticulously timed as his presentations.

His old friends would say: — “We don’t recognize him anymore.” He would reply: — “They’re just jealous.”

He came home late. Slept little. Ate poorly. But he shone.

One day, during a conference in Dubai, he spots a woman in the audience. It’s Juliette. His childhood sweetheart. She looks at him, but her eyes do not shine.

They have a coffee.

— “You’ve made it. Truly.”

Silence.

— “But you seem… empty.”

He smiles politely. He leaves. He wins again. He signs a 100-million funding round.

And in his luxurious suite, he drinks alone.

They say he invested in a meditation app. But he never meditates.