Chapter 1

The air inside the Grand Athenaeum Library smelled of old paper, polished mahogany, and the sharp, metallic tang of expensive perfume. It was a scent that hit me the moment I pushed through the heavy oak doors, a sensory anchor that pulled me back to a thousand childhood afternoons spent tracing the gold-leaf titles on the spines of encyclopedias. But tonight, the atmosphere was different. The hushed reverence of a reading room had been replaced by the low, buzzing hum of a cocktail reception. Crystal flutes clinked with a delicate, musical rhythm, and the soft murmur of intellectual conversation wove through the room like a silk ribbon. I adjusted the strap of my champagne-colored silk dress, feeling the cool air against my bare shoulders. I had just finished my own reading, a modest affair for my first novel, and now I was mingling with the literary elite. But my eyes weren’t scanning the room for agents or editors. They were searching for him. Daddy was there. He stood near the grand staircase, leaning casually against the banister, holding a glass of amber whiskey as if he owned the building. He looked impeccable, as always. His tuxedo was tailored to perfection,