The heavy double doors of the Grand Pavilion had barely begun to swing shut behind Jake, Aliya, and Catharine when Arthur Livingston lost whatever sanity he had left.
"Jake! Wait!" Arthur shouted, his voice cracking into a desperate screech.
He didn't care that he was stepping over broken glass. He didn't care that his pants cuff was soaked in expensive scotch. Arthur shoved his way past a line of frozen corporate executives, practically sprinting down the center aisle to intercept Jake before he reached the foyer.
Elias stepped sideways, his massive frame instantly blocking the aisle like an iron wall. Arthur stopped dead in his tracks, panting heavily, his eyes wild and bloodshot as he stared over Elias's shoulder at Jake.
Jake paused. He didn't turn around immediately, taking his time to adjust his cufflink before slowly pivoting. His expression was completely blank—no anger, no smugness, just a flat, icy void.
