The morning after the Starlight Gala, the air in the city felt remarkably crisp, as if the storm of Chloe Sterling’s public humiliation had somehow cleared the smog. Sienna Vance sat in the back of the sleek, black Maybach as it glided smoothly down the ramp into the subterranean VIP parking garage

The executive penthouse of Vanguard Hospitality was a sanctuary of glass, steel, and quiet power. At eleven o'clock at night, the city below stretched out like a glittering grid of diamonds and gold, the chaotic noise of the streets reduced to a distant, muffled hum.

Inside the massive corner offi

The morning sun bled through the floor-to-ceiling windows of Vanguard Hospitality’s executive level, casting long, sharp shadows across the marble floors. It was 7:30 AM. In exactly ninety minutes, the emergency board meeting would commence.

Sienna Vance stood in front of the sweeping glass doors