IRE

of crystal chandeliers casting long, fractu

tucked in a dim alcove near the back, offer

yes swept across

l force, clinking glasses, laughing too

the front tables, lan

empty chairs around him creating a pe

g leg stretched out, his black cane r

one; he merely swirled the amber whiskey in his

l, the predatory edge he

ntirely unbothered by the prey milling around him, ye

ble doors drew my attentio

ets had

by a tight entourage of sy

k with careful precision, a smug, untouchable grin plastered on

im, Jenna clung to his arm like a trophy, practicall

, carrying herself with the rigid arrogance of someone w

ivious to the fact that their executioner was sitting in

e stem of my champagne flute,

e with grand, sweeping gestures, comp

t alone seated thirty feet away, wait

he stage, his booming voice cutting through th

high society threw obscene amounts of money at mediocre

with effortless vanity, each hammer drop met with delighte

cold silence, feeling the steady,

uzzed agai

"All set. Audio and video feeds are patched into

d. "Hold until the auction

k over at Ka

d once, nor had he shift

la was nothing more th

room, a force of nature operatin

ngle, measured swallow, letting