new wave of pure, unseen panic washed over Elara. The heat of a hundred stares felt like a physical weight, pressing the air from her lungs. She saw the faces of former colleagues and investors who had once begged for a meeting with her, now looking at her with a mixture of pity, schadenfreude, and morbid curiosity. She wanted the intricately woven carpet beneath her feet to unravel and swallow her whole. This was a nightmare. She had no pass. She didn’t even know why Leo had brought her here, to the very heart of her professional ruin. This was Amelia’s kingdom, a celebration built on the ashes of her own dreams, and they were uninvited trespassers.Anxious and utterly mortified, she tugged lightly at Leo’s sleeve, her voice a desperate, choked growl. “Leo, please. Let’s just go. This is… this is too much. Let's get out of here.”But to her astonishment, Leo stood as calm and unshakable as granite in a storm. There was not a flicker of panic in his eyes, not a trace of unease in hi

Chapter 11:The polished marble and gilded opulence of the Grand Metropolitan felt a lifetime away. Outside the convention center, the night air was cold and biting, a stark contrast to the champagne-fueled warmth Amelia had just been violently ejected from. Her golden gown, once a symbol of triumph, now felt like a ridiculous, gaudy costume under the harsh glare of the streetlights. Humiliation burned hotter than any anger, a searing brand on her skin. She could still feel the phantom grip of the security guards on her arms. Before the full weight of her public ruin could fully crush her, her phone vibrated. It was an unknown number. With a trembling hand, she answered.“Is this Amelia Coote?” a bored, official voice asked.“Yes?Who is this?”“This is Sergeant Evans at the 12th Precinct. We have an Eleanor Coote in custody. She listed you as her contact. You’ll need to come down to post bail.”Amelia’s mind, already reeling, struggled to process this new layer of catastrophe. Her