Ivy's hand went cold around the phone, the warmth of the evening suddenly feeling very far away, and she showed the message to Sterling with hands that weren't quite steady, watching his face shift from joyful exhaustion into something sharper, more alert.

"Security," he said, already standing, voice controlled despite the tension radiating off him.

Reagan appeared within minutes, tablet in hand despite her earlier promise to leave it behind for the day, and the venue's security team swept the perimeter with quiet, practiced efficiency while the reception continued around them, most guests entirely unaware anything had shifted.

"Nobody's at the gate," the head of security reported, twenty minutes later,...