A Calculated Slight

Elara stiffened as Vivienne approached them, golden dress gleaming under the venue's lights. The false sweetness in her half-sister's voice made her skin crawl.

"I just wanted to say how nice it was to see you again after all this time," Vivienne said to Julian, completely ignoring Elara's presence.

Julian's posture shifted subtly, protective and alert. "Is there something you needed, Ms. Dubois?"

Vivienne's smile dimmed slightly. "Actually, I wanted to discuss my position at CroftVision." Her gaze darted briefly to Elara, then back to Julian. "Perhaps somewhere more private?"

"There's nothing to discuss that can't be said here," Julian replied coolly.

Vivienne's perfectly manicured hand tightened around her clutch. "I assumed with your company's recent growth, you'd want to retain talent with my qualifications."

Julian raised an eyebrow. "Your contract was terminated two weeks ago. The notification was sent to your office."