Julian Vance was sweating through his bespoke midnight-blue suit, and he couldn't blame the oppressive desert heat.

He stood in the opulent marble lobby of the Burj Al Arab, his jaw clenched so tightly his teeth ached. The concierge, a man in a pristine white uniform with gold epaulettes, offered

Chaos erupted in the Dubai auditorium.

Hundreds of investors, royalty, and global real estate developers began shouting all at once. The translation headsets crackled with a dozen different languages, all conveying the same sentiment: outrage, confusion, and disgust.

Julian Vance spun around, hi

One month later.

The mediation room in the basement of the Manhattan courthouse was sterile, windowless, and smelled faintly of floor wax and stale coffee. The fluorescent lights buzzed with a low, irritating hum.

Julian Vance sat at the cheap laminate table, staring at his hands.

He looked te