The ancestral manor of the Vance family stood like a cold, imposing fortress upon the manicured hills overlooking the northern district of the city. Built from dark, rain-streaked granite and fortified with state-of-the-art biometric iron gates, the estate was a physical manifestation of the family’s old-money status and their multi-billion-dollar dominance in the defense technology sector. Tonight, the grand dining hall was bathed in the amber glow of massive crystal chandeliers that hung from twenty-foot vaulted ceilings. The air inside smelled of expensive beeswax candles, aged oak wood, and the rich, decadent aroma of pan-seared wagyu beef and black winter truffles. Yet, beneath the veneer of high-class culinary indulgence, the atmosphere was suffocatingly tense, heavy with the silent
