In Novus City, the sky had surrendered to a persistent, weeping drizzle. The air was thick with the scent of damp pavement and the encroaching bite of autumn, a seasonal shift that seemed to mirror the heavy atmosphere settling over the coastal metropolis.
Over the course of forty-eight hours, a single piece of news had spread through the city like a slow-burning wildfire. Within the gilded halls of The Gilded Resort, the whispers of the wealthy and the ambitious were constant, rising and falling like the tide.
"Have you heard the confirmation? Vita Coperation, that juggernaut from overseas, has officially greenlit its local development projects."
"Of course! Everyone from the harbor to the hills knows about the upcoming reception. If you don't have an invitation, you might as well not
