The atmosphere in the banquet hall was a volatile mixture of high-end perfume, expensive spirits, and the suffocating pressure of social posturing. Just as the tension surrounding the table reached its breaking point, a sharp, authoritative voice cut through the localized malice.
“Leo, that’s enough! Sit down and shut your mouth!”
The man who spoke was Julian Mandel. Among the entire gathering of former classmates, Julian was the only one who had maintained a shred of genuine loyalty and human decency toward Ace Kane. In a world defined by transactional friendships, Julian was an anomaly—a man who still valued the bonds of their youth over the balance in a bank account.
Julian pushed himself up from his chair with a sudden, forceful movement, his presence looming over the table. He step
