The Public Performance

The double doors of the ballroom didn't just open; they yielded to the weight of the Sterling name. Beyond them, the grand foyer of the estate hummed with the predatory energy of the city’s elite—a sound like a thousand sharpening knives disguised as polite applause. Elena Vance paused, the silk of her gown feeling less like a garment and more like a suit of armor she wasn't entirely sure how to wear.

Beside her, Julian Sterling didn't offer a reassuring smile. He simply offered his arm, his posture so rigid it felt like an indictment of her hesitation.

"The cameras are already positioned," Julian murmured, his voice a low, frictionless rasp that didn't reach his eyes. "If you look like a woman being led to the gallows, the indemnity clause w

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