He froze.

He nudged Gloria, pointing a finger toward the front of the room.

Gloria squinted, her face twisting in confusion, then absolute horror as she recognized me.

She stood half-upright from her chair, her hand clutching her pearls.

Graham began to walk toward the dais, his face pale and his brow furrowed.

A security guard in a dark suit stepped into the aisle, quietly blocking Graham’s path with a polite but unyielding stance.

Graham stopped, his hands clenched into fists at his sides.

The president of the Dallas Real Estate Association stepped up to the podium.

He tapped the microphone, and a high-pitched hum quieted the room.

“Good evening, ladies and gentlemen,” the president said.

The crowd settled into their seats, the clinking of silverware fading away.

“Tonight, we are here to celebrate the incredible growth of our city,” he continued. “And we are here to honor the company that has quietly shaped the North Texas skyline over the last five years.”

He turned and looked directly at me.

“For years, Apex Realty Group has operated under a veil of strict privacy,” the president said. “But tonight, the founder has chosen to step into the light.”