The arrival of Andrew Martin—the second-in-command of the the Martin family—sent a palpable ripple of electricity through the humid air of the memorial gardens. While he did not hold the title of Patriarch, his reputation as the "Iron Vice" of the family was legendary throughout Novus City. In the cutthroat hierarchy of local commerce, the the Martin family sat comfortably above mid-tier clans like the the Oz family or the the Thompson family, teetering on the very edge of becoming a true first-rate dynasty.
Andrew Martin moved with a practiced, lethargic elegance, followed by two silent bodyguards whose suits seemed to strain against muscles weighing at least 220 pounds each. As he approached, Jane Hobbs felt her heart hammer against her ribs. Had the social setting been any less formal,
