When the doors opened, she stepped out just as Pearl approached from the VIP corridor. Lizzy positioned herself directly in Pearl’s path, her smile all sugar and poison. “Well, well… Pearl Carson. Didn’t think you were the VIP type. Must be nice pretending you belong here.”

Pearl glanced at her, expression unreadable, and kept walking.

Lizzy stepped closer, voice rising. “Oh, come on. Some of us are here for real business. Others? Just here to play dress-up and hope no one notices.”

A flicker of movement caught Lizzy’s eye,Jason, Pearl’s chief of security, was suddenly at Pearl’s side. “Miss Carson,” he said, “shall I handle this?”

Pearl’s answer was cool...