"Abandon Gerald immediately, or your blood will stain his silk before the night ends," Laura read aloud, her voice trembling slightly against the silence of her private suite.
The crimson glow of the metallic card flickered in her palm, casting sharp, blood-red shadows across her emerald dress. She closed her eyes for a brief second, forcing her erratic breathing to stabilize as her sharp instincts took over. Fear was a luxury she could not afford, especially not when the Solstice Banquet awaited them at the top of the Sky-Deck.
She did not panic or scream for the estate guards. Instead, Laura slipped the threat card deep into her silk clutch, closing the obsidian jewelry box with a quiet, decisive click. She applied a final layer of deep red lipstick, smoothed the folds of her gown,
