The silence that descended upon the villa was absolute, a heavy, suffocating blanket that smothered even the wind. It was the kind of silence where you could hear a pin drop, or perhaps more accurately, the shattering of illusions.
Outside the wrought-iron gates, the kneeling reporters, the stunned members of the Western orchestra, and the highly paid chefs in their crisp white toques all stared wide-eyed at the tableau before them. Hundreds of pairs of eyes were fixed on the Lacy family, their gazes sharp and penetrating.
For the members of the Lacy family, this collective scrutiny felt like a physical assault. It was as if they had been stripped n***d and paraded down the main avenue of Valor City. A burning shame clawed at their throats, mixing with a simmering, impotent rage. Their f
