Imperial Palace Hotel.
The name was no exaggeration. The moment they stepped inside, they were greeted by a lobby so dazzling it looked like a golden palace—towering crystal chandeliers, polished marble floors smooth enough to reflect every detail, and walls decorated with ornate gilt patterns like something stolen from an emperor’s private residence.
Alex Lacy gasped the instant she crossed the threshold. Her tiny pink hands fluttered everywhere—touching the marble pillars, patting the velvet sofas, staring at her reflection in the glossy floor like she’d entered a magical kingdom.
“Mommy, it’s so pretty! Is this a real palace?” she whispered in awe.
A pang of bitterness twisted inside Sarah Lacy.
It was her fault—her lack of wealth, her powerlessness—that her daughter had never expe
