The gala had shifted into its second act: the auction.
The ballroom brimmed with glittering wealth. Waiters glided past with trays of champagne, diamonds winked beneath the chandeliers, and conversations rose and fell like music. Beneath the refined smiles and laughter, though, the air was sharp with calculation. Everyone here had come not only to acquire art but also to measure themselves against their peers. It was less an auction than a battlefield with velvet trimmings.
Gigi sat between Isabella and Sultana, hands folded neatly in her lap. She had dressed conservatively compared to most women in the room, her black silk gown understated yet elegant. Isabella leaned in close, whispering commentary about the outrageous hats and jeweled gowns drifting through the crowd. Sultana, by cont
