ELION

“Mr Fitzpatrick, it's an honor to finally meet you,” he said as we shook hands.

I gave him a polite nod. I had heard that exact sentence more times than I could count. After a while, it stopped sounding like admiration and started sounding like protocol.

Harlan, on the other hand, was far more welcoming. He stepped forward and offered his hand with an easy smile.

“Welcome to the Elite Group, Heath.”

The man's expression shifted immediately, a flicker of apology crossed his face before he even spoke.“I should clear that up,” he said, accepting Heath's handshake. “I'm not Heath.”

My eyes narrowed at him. I raised a finger,...