The stunned silence stretches like a taut wire ready to snap. I walk forward slowly, deliberately, savoring every shocked face in the crowd. Behind me, Scarlett follows with the grace of someone who belongs in these circles—which, of course, she always has.
"Impossible," Chloe whispers, her voice barely audible above the whispers rippling through the crowd. "This can't be real."
Ethan steps forward, his face twisted with disbelief and growing anger. "This is some kind of joke. Everyone knows Noah Lancaster is just a delivery driver. A nobody."
The crowd murmurs agreement. Some pull out their phones, already googling, trying to make sense of what they're seeing.
"You think you can show up here and pretend to be someone important?" Ethan's voice grows louder, more confident as he plays to his audience. "I don't know what game you're playing, but—"
"Mr. Lancaster."
