Chapter 33 - The Trojan Horse
An hour passed. The gala proceeded with its usual, predictable rhythm. Wealthy donors clinked glasses, and auctioneers spoke into microphones. Julian remained on the balcony, an immovable, solitary figure in his flawless black tuxedo.
Then, the earpiece crackled.
"Anomaly detected," Elias’s voice reported, a tight note of professional tension entering his tone. "A guest just checked in at the secondary coat check. The digital backdoor we left open in the registry was accessed exactly three minutes ago to validate his invitation. He is using a ghost identity."
Julian’s jaw clenched slightly. A microscopic shift of anticipation crossed his dark eyes.
"Location," Julian demanded quietly.
"He is entering the main hall now. Proceeding toward the grand staircase. He is wearing a dark gray tailored suit. Red silk pocket square. He is looking for you, sir."
Julian’s eye movement swept across the floor below. He bypassed the socialites and the politicians until his gaze locked onto the man in the gray suit. The man was moving through the crowd with a predator’s grace, avoiding eye contact, his path cutting a direct trajectory toward the stairs leading up to Julian’s balcony.
"Do we intercept, Mr. Julian?" Elias asked.
"No," Julian commanded softly, his breathing perfectly regulated. "Let him approach. Maintain a fifty-foot invisible perimeter. Do not alert him."
Julian turned away from the railing. He walked toward the shadows at the back of the VIP balcony, standing near a heavy, dark velvet curtain. He placed his untouched glass of water onto a high-top table.
May you like
He waited in the silence. The muffled sound of the string quartet drifted up from below.
The heavy footsteps of the proxy echoed softly on the marble stairs. The man in the gray suit stepped onto the balcony. He paused, scanning the dim lighting. When he saw Julian standing in the shadows, a micro-expression of nervous hesitation flashed across the proxy’s face. He had expected the billionaire to be surrounded by bodyguards, vulnerable and unaware. Instead, he found a man waiting for him in the dark, radiating an aura of terrifying, silent control.
