THE PUBLIC HUMILIATION
The gala was held in the Crystal Ballroom of the Meridian Hotel, a space designed to make guests feel they had entered a world where gravity was optional and consequences were decorative. Floor-to-ceiling windows framed the city like a painting commissioned by someone who had never seen poverty, crystal chandeliers cast light that flattered everyone equally, and the carpet was thick enough to swallow sound, footsteps, and the occasional dropped secret.
Sophia had not wanted to attend.
Damien had insisted, his voice carrying the urgency of a man who had learned to translate emotion into logistics. "The board needs to see us together. They need to understand that the tower redesign is my priority, that the community center is legitimate investment, that you're not a
