Chapter 1
Julian Vance adjusted his black tuxedo jacket, feeling the sharp press of the tailored wool against his shoulders. The room hummed with the muted cadence of elite society, silverware clinking against porcelain beneath the warm glow of a massive crystal chandelier. At the center of the long wooden dining table, a feast of roasted meats and imported delicacies sat under the brilliant illumination. Julian sat at the head, his dark hair styled back, completely unaware that the night was about to fracture. A young boy with brown hair, wearing a simple tan button-down shirt that stood out sharply among the sea of black-tie attire, slipped past the hovering waitstaff. He leaned in close to Julian, his small frame tense, speaking urgently.
"Sir, don't eat that food," the boy whispered, his voice cutting through the ambient chatter like a knife.
Julian stopped midway through slicing his steak. He looked down at the child with a stern, questioning expression, his brow furrowing as irritation flared in his chest. Security should have kept the kids outside.
"What are you doing, kid? Let go of me," Julian said, his voice dropping an octave as he tried to pry small fingers away from his sleeve.
The boy didn't flinch. He maintained direct eye contact, his gaze unnervingly steady for someone so young, explaining the situation firmly with a quiet intensity that defied his age. Across the table, Julian's wife sat rigidly in her strapless gown, her diamond necklace and earrings catching the chandelier light. She listened with a subtle, forced smile and tearful eyes, her fingers tightening around the stem of her wine glass until her knuckles turned white.
"This boy must be crazy," she said, her voice smooth yet strained, a theatrical tremor betraying her composure.
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Julian stared intensely into the distance, a sudden, cold dread washing over him as the colorful room abruptly drained into high-contrast black and white. The boy leaned in one final time, delivering words that hung heavy in the quieted room.
"Then ask her to eat it first."
