Chapter 446

• The weather couldn't have been more perfect.
• Sunlight poured through the glass walls of the estate’s south-facing atrium, filtering through the canopy of imported Japanese maples and casting soft, golden shadows across the marble floors. It was the kind of late spring day that made even the most cynical Manhattan moguls pause and exhale.
• Helen sat elegantly on the signature rosewood armchair we’d flown in from Milan, smiling as waves of guests arrived with carefully chosen gifts and curated compliments. Luke, ever the professional, moved efficiently behind her with a digital tablet in hand, logging each guest’s name, affiliation, and gift value for future reciprocation. In this world, gratitude was currency and every present was a business transaction in disguise.