The sound of a hammer striking metal echoes through Vaela's estate, muffled by velvet drapes and the trill of chattering staff. Vaela struts down the grand staircase, clipboard in hand, hips swaying with purpose. Workers scramble around her in a flurry of linens, lights, and glittering glassware as they transform her mansion into an opulent ballroom fit for royalty and powerbrokers alike.
Crystal chandeliers are being polished to within an inch of their lives. Marble floors gleam. Floral arrangements explode with decadent color, snaking up pillars and draping over balconies. The smell of roses, citrus, and something slightly sinful wafts through the halls.
Everything is coming together.
Vaela taps her pen against the clipboard with smug satisfaction. "Hmm. Seven-foot chocolate fountain... check. Suspiciously expensive ice sculpture... check. Shame-spiral-proof bar cart... check."
"Caterers are here," Lilith drawls behind her.
