Chapter 51: The Hollow Victory

The sound of popping champagne corks and raucous cheers filled the opulent boardroom, but it all seemed to Nathan Carter like white noise. He stood at the head of the long mahogany table, a practiced smile on his face, as colleagues slapped him on the back and raised glasses in his honor. "To Nathan!" the CEO Harold exclaimed, red-faced and red-nosed from fervor and whiskey. "The man who just landed us the Robertson account! This deal is going to put us on the map, gentlemen. Millions, we're talking about here!" Another round of applause broke out. Nathan grinned, raising his own glass. "Thanks, everyone; really, it was a team effort." However, as the words left him, Nathan felt a hollowness in his chest. It was strange; that deal, the moment of triumph he had finally achieved through these many months of work, seemed curiously hollow, as if the thrill of success that had driven him had vanished, leaving only a vague sense of discontentment. As the party ground to a halt around him