Billy Lacy, Sydney Katic Lacy, and the group of elderly neighbors from the Blessing Community stood huddled together, their eyes wide as they clutched the heavy crimson invitations. To them, the thick parchment felt like a golden ticket to a world they had only seen in movies. Under the respectful gaze of the security guards, they were ushered past the velvet ropes and into a private, gold-leafed elevator that smelled of sandalwood and success.
Rebecca Lacy stood frozen, her hand still raised in a pointing gesture that now looked ridiculous. Her mouth opened and closed like a fish gasping for air, but no sound came out. It wasn’t just her—the entire assembly of Valor City’s elite was paralyzed in a state of collective shock. These titans of industry, these masters of the state commerce, w
