Several university administrators cleared a path for Julian themselves.
He walked into the hall in an immaculate suit, calm and unhurried. His gaze swept across the room and immediately took in the chaos before him.
Vanessa quickly adjusted her hair, put on her most polished smile, and hurried toward him.
"Julian, you made it."
Julian glanced at her and gave a polite nod, but his stride did not slow.
"And you are?"
A flicker of embarrassment crossed Vanessa's face, but she recovered quickly.
"Julian, I'm Vanessa Whitmore," she said. "My family is connected to Rivergate Capital Group. My father is Robert Whitmore. He had the honor of speaking with you at last year's gala."
Julian seemed to consider the name for a moment. It clearly meant something to him, but not enough to have left
