He thought he had secured the future of his empire on my back.

At ten o’clock, Bennett took the stage under a bright spotlight.

“Ten years ago, we dreamed of redefining luxury,” Bennett’s voice boomed through the high-end speakers.

He did not mention my name once in his speech.

He spoke of his vision, his tireless work, and the new era of Whitlock Luxe in Europe and Asia.

Beside me, Julian appeared out of the shadows of the corridor.

He looked down at his watch, then at his phone.

“Harrison signed the order,” Julian whispered. “The electronic serving system just delivered the freeze notices to Chase, Citibank, and the state treasury.”

“What about the Delaware account?” I asked.

“Everything tied to the Whitlock Luxe name is locked down,” Julian said. “He can’t clear a single dollar.”

On stage, Bennett finished his speech to deafening applause.

He walked down the steps, where Celeste met him with a kiss.

I watched him reach into his breast pocket as his phone began to vibrate violently.

He pulled it out, his brow furrowing as he looked at the screen.