I opened my banking app. No charge yet. Pending hold only.
Good.
That meant the door had not fully closed.
I grabbed my key fob, slid my phone into my coat pocket, and walked to the elevator. The metal button felt cold under my finger. Somewhere below us, bass thumped through the walls, muffled and smug.
Daniel followed without speaking.
When the elevator opened on the amenity floor, the smell hit first—vanilla frosting, spilled soda, warm champagne, and the sharp chemical bite of cleaning spray someone had tried to use too late.
A little gold crown decoration lay crushed near the hallway carpet.
Inside the party room, Vanessa stood beside the dessert table, posing with one hand on Lily’s shoulder and the other around a champagne flute.
She saw me.
Her smile did not drop.
