The flashbulbs erupted like a localized lightning storm, illuminating the grand facade of the St. Regis Hotel. The Grand Culinary Gala was the absolute pinnacle of the city's high society, an event where fortunes were made, Michelin stars were whispered into existence, and the elite gathered to feas

Julian’s jaw hung slack, his perfectly rehearsed arrogant sneer dissolving into an expression of sheer, unadulterated panic. He stared at the massive Head of Security, who remained bowed at a crisp ninety-degree angle before Elena.

"What did you just say?" Julian sputtered, his voice cracking loud

The silence in the grand ballroom was absolute. It was the kind of heavy, suffocating quiet that precedes a catastrophic implosion. The flashing of camera bulbs was the only movement in the room as the elite culinary world processed the leather-bound book in Elena’s hands.

Julian looked like he wa