Chapter 30. Public Exposé

Harper stepped from the private elevator into the vaulted hall of the Global Ledger Summit. Everywhere she looked amalgamated into a single mosaic of power—marble floors, glass balconies, murmurs of handshake deals echoing against high ceilings. Round tables under glittering chandeliers held the world’s wealth in pinstripe suits and tailored gowns. This was where she would reveal everything, but a thread of unease hovered—Lilah’s last-minute maneuver still stinging at her edges.

Knox slipped in behind her, palm at her lower back offering quiet reassurance. His wrist glowed softly with the Clause 5.7 compliance monitor; hers pulsed in sync. She inhaled, steadying herself as camera flashes fired the first volley. They took their place at Table 7, central row, directly in sight of the stage.

A tall woman in Prada sipped rosé across from them, nodding in recognition. A man in a crisp suit greeted Harper with a thin smile. Knox leaned in to whisper, “They’re testing. Just sta