CHAPTER 6: THE FIRST TWIST — THE GALA WAS NEVER A GALA

A guest suddenly screamed:
“This isn’t a charity event!”
I turned slowly.
“It used to be.”
A pause.
“But not tonight.”
The lights flickered.
For a second, the ballroom looked different.
Sterile.
Controlled.
Structured.
Like a facility.
The heir froze.
“What is this place?”
I answered quietly:
May you like
“A mirror.”
“And you’re finally seeing yourselves without filters.”