Chapter 18

The ballroom of the Ritz-Carlton sparkled with Miami's elite, crystal chandeliers casting diamond-like light across the city's most powerful players. Julian adjusted his new tie - Margaret's latest gift, a Hermès silk in midnight blue that undeniably cost more than his old month's rent. The massive space dripped with old money and new ambitions: ice sculptures melted slowly on marble pedestals, champagne flowed from fountains trimmed in gold, and a string quartet played Vivaldi from a raised platform near the twenty-foot windows overlooking Biscayne Bay. Women draped in designer gowns that cost more than cars air-kissed each other while their husbands discussed yacht prices and hedge funds, their Rolex watches catching the light with every practiced gesture. Everything gleamed with impossible perfection - from the polished dance floor that reflected every movement like a mirror, to the elaborate flower arrangements that probably cost more than his entire wardrobe. White-gloved