The grand ballroom pulsed with muted conversation as the live string quartet transitioned into a dramatic crescendo. Candles flickered, casting dancing shadows across glittering gowns and tuxedos. Celeste Su stood beside Adrian Lu at the head table, her thigh still throbbing from the scrape of steel the night before. She'd patched the wound herself—no medic, no sympathy, no indulgence.
Adrian's posture was statuesque: shoulders squared, head tilted slightly as if assessing an abstract painting. His glass of champagne hovered untouched at his lip. He glanced at her and then at the crowd, surveying every flick of a fan, every glance in their direction.
The CTO of LuTech tapped the microphone. “Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for joining us. Now… let us unveil the next demonstration."
A hu
