Chapter 235

• By mid-August, the annual Starlight Gala was just around the corner a signature event on the social calendar for the elite, celebrating not just harvest and tradition, but legacy and influence.
• Yet Rafael still hadn’t returned.
• I found it odd. It had been over a month since he left for Meadow Ridge a trip he’d said would take no more than a few days. A quick check-in with contacts, a few strategic conversations, and then back. That was the plan.