By two o'clock that afternoon, the autumn sun was beating down on the white marble facade of the Telfair Academy in downtown Savannah.
The historic museum sat at the edge of Telfair Square, its broad steps packed with local press, regional news crews, and senior members of the Southeastern Architectural League. The air hummed with hushed anticipation.
Maya stood at the top of the grand marble staircase, looking pristine in a sleek, asymmetric emerald-green dress that warmly contrasted her caramel-gold skin. Her dark hair was styled in soft, cascading waves that brushed against her shoulders, and her dark brown eyes burned with a clear, unshakeable brilliance.
Standing half a step behind her, draped in a tailored navy suit that broadened his six-foot-two frame, was Mario. His stormy gray
