Chapter 1

The heavy velvet ropes parted, and the noise of the city was instantly severed, replaced by the low, sophisticated hum of three hundred well-dressed elites sipping champagne and discussing mergers. The air in the Grand Ballroom was thick, layered with the scent of expensive lilies, polished mahogany, and the faint, metallic tang of anticipation. It was a smell I knew well, the olfactory signature of my childhood, but tonight it felt heavier, charged with a static electricity that raised the fine hairs on my arms. I adjusted the strap of my silk slip dress, the fabric cool against my skin, and scanned the room for the familiar silhouette that had been haunting my thoughts for weeks. He was there. My father stood near the massive arched window that overlooked the glittering city skyline, a solitary figure amidst the swirling tide of tuxedos and evening gowns. He looked immaculate, as always, but there was a weariness in the way he held his glass of scotch, the ice clinking softly against the crystal. The spotlight of the chandelier caught the silver threading through his dark hair, highlighting the deep lines around his eyes that I had memorized since I was a girl.