Sitting in the plush seat of my private jet, I stared out at the clouds, feeling the weight of the upcoming meeting. I wasn’t in the mood for conversation.

Beside me, my personal assistant was focused on her tablet. “Everything’s set for the meeting,” she said, glancing at me.

I nodded but didn’t respond.

“Do you want coffee?” she asked.

“No,” I replied curtly, still looking outside.

Silence fell again, broken only by the hum of the engines. I sensed her eagerness to fill the quiet, but I just wanted to get through this trip.