Julian's POV
The stairs leading up to the makeshift stage felt like the steps of a scaffold. As I climbed them, following the broad, confident sweep of my father's shoulders, the temperature seemed to rise twenty degrees.
Richard took his place behind the podium, the Sterling family crest carved into its front. He looked out over the ballroom with the effortless grace of a man who owned the very air people were breathing. Lisa was by his right, while Catherine, Gabriel and I were directed to his left.
Richard reached out, his hand landing on my shoulder as he pulled me in close. He did the same with Catherine on his other side, pinning us to him like trophies.
"Ladies and gentlemen," Richard began, his voice booming through the speakers. "Tonight is about more than just the future of our great state. It's about the foundations that hold us together when the world tries to pull us apart."
