Chapter 10 Banquet Of Whispers

• The annual Charity Gala hosted by the city’s most influential families was in full swing. Crystal chandeliers cast a warm glow over the grand ballroom, where elegant guests in designer gowns and tailored tuxedos mingled with calculated smiles. Elara attended the event with her stepbrother Julian and his fiancée Sophia, stepping into the opulent space with the same cold grace she carried everywhere.
• Most of the guests knew her only as Elias Vale’s illegitimate daughter — the mysterious woman who had suddenly appeared in their elite circles. Whispers followed her like shadows.
• “Look at her. The bastard girl trying to play princess,” one woman murmured loudly enough for Elara to hear.