The capital strategy summit was held on the upper floors of a private financial institute overlooking Montclair's older banking district. The building still carried its old stone exterior, but inside everything had been stripped down and rebuilt in glass and steel.
Only a small circle had been invited. There was no public registration and no press. The people here weren't looking for visibility.
Franz and Lucas entered the building through the back door, which was accessible only to approved delegates and panelists.
Lucas wore his badge on his jacket. They arrived on time—not early, not late.
Franz noted the hush as they stepped inside. Not the silence of emptiness—the silence of people who didn't need to fill space with noise. He'd learned that kind of quiet young. It felt familiar in an uncomfortable way.
