Chapter 4

The Blackwood Foundation's annual charity gala had transformed the hotel ballroom into a glittering showcase of wealth and influence. Crystal chandeliers cast prismatic light across silk gowns and diamond jewelry, while the soft murmur of polite conversation mixed with the gentle clink of champagne flutes.

I adjusted the midnight blue Valentino gown that had cost more than most people's monthly salary, scanning the room with practiced ease. Every face here represented power, money, or both—the kind of people who could build empires or destroy them with a single conversation.

"Sera Blackwood," the event coordinator whispered as she approached, her clipboard…