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

The flashing red and blue lights of the police cruisers spilled through the grand oak doors of the ballroom, painting the terrified faces of VanceTech’s elite in violent, rhythmic strokes. The silence in the room was absolute, broken only by the heavy, chaotic scuffle of expensive leather shoes agai