I’d been holding the same glass of champagne for twenty minutes. The condensation was making my fingers numb, but taking a sip meant breaking character.
Julian Sterling was standing maybe three feet away. He was deep into some pitch about quarterly growth, radiating that obnoxious confidence of a guy who’s never heard the word "no" in his entire life. He hadn't changed a bit.
Same practiced hand gestures. Same patronizing head tilt when he pretended to listen. Same way he kept touching the small of Vivienne's back—just a subtle little brand to let the room know she was his property.
I tracked all of it, exactly like Selene had drilled into me. Scan the room. Find the exits, the threats, the weak spots. Julian wasn't a physical threat. He was something way more annoying: a man who entir
