A few yards away, Marcus Sterling paused mid-sentence while speaking with a regional director. His face drained of color as he turned around, locking eyes with Julian. For months, Marcus and his inner circle had operated under the assumption that Julian had been permanently sidelined, locked out of high-society functions following the bitter dissolution of their joint venture.
"How did you get in here?" Marcus muttered, stepping away from the guests and lowering his voice as he closed the distance between them. "This event is strictly by invitation only. Security has your name flagged at every checkpoint."
Julian tilted his head, flashing the card toward Marcus. "Look closely at the VIP security tier, Marcus. It says A1. When you control the master underwriting ledger of the trust, you don't need an invitation. You write the guest list."