The roar of the grand banquet hall faded into a muffled drone the moment Jake stepped into the private stairwell. Up here, away from the aggressive glare of the flashbulbs and the sharp clinking of crystal, the air felt cooler, heavy with the scent of polished mahogany and expensive floor wax.
Jake climbed the carpeted steps without haste. His shoes made no sound against the thick pile. He knew exactly where Alex would be. In university, whenever the pressure of exams or the crushing weight of family expectations became too suffocating, Alex never went to the crowded student lounges. He had always sought out the quietest, highest vantage point he could find—settling into the shadows where he could track everyone else without being perceived.
Reaching the upper mezzanine, Jake paused near a deep archway, his eyes narrowing.
