Julian Vance’s hand slashed through the air.

The slap echoed sharply across the penthouse bedroom, a vicious crack of flesh on flesh. The force of the blow threw Clara off balance, sending her crashing onto the edge of the mattress. Her cheek burned with a fierce, stinging heat, and the metallic t

The high-pitched wail of audio feedback slowly died away, leaving a ringing in the ears of every elite guest, board member, and reporter in the VanceTech ballroom. The silence that followed was absolute, suffocating, and heavy with anticipation.

Clara Vance brought the microphone to her lips, look

Julian stared at the glaring red *ACCESS DENIED* warning illuminating the stage, his chest heaving as if he had just sprinted a mile. He slammed his palm against the biometric glass plate a third time, his frantic, sweaty fingers slipping against the surface.

"System error!" Julian screamed at the