Stepping into the Crowd

Every person who held a pass to the upper VIP floor tonight was a shark in the business world...

Thinking you could buy the Heavens Club for five million was a total joke.

Still, true old-money elites didn't jeer out loud like kids on the street.

The executives at nearby tables simply swirled their wine and acted like they hadn't heard a thing, crossing Jude Lawson off the list of real buyers.

Soaking in the quiet mockery from the crowd, Arthur Snyder gave Jude a smug grin.

"Don't take it too hard, Mr. Lawson," Arthur sneered. "Five million won't even buy you a broom closet in here, sure, but the food tonight came straight from a three-star Michelin chef. Help yourself to a few more plates of steak before you head back across the river... at least that way you didn't waste the trip."

"Exactly!" Harold Phillips grinned from ear to ear. "Just treat tonight like a little field trip to see how the real world lives!"