The double doors to the Grand Ballroom of the Modern Art Museum didn't just open; they were pushed wide by liveried staff to reveal a galaxy made of glass and light.
It was the Celestia Launch Gala, the most exclusive event on the social calendar, and the theme was "Starfall." The ceiling had been draped in midnight-blue velvet studded with thousands of fiber-optic lights, mimicking a summer sky. Centerpieces made of spun sugar and raw diamonds glittered on every table. It was a room designed to make ordinary people feel small.
But when Damien Sinclair stepped onto the mezzanine landing, the room itself seemed to shrink.
The chatter—a dull roar of mergers, acquisitions, and old-money gossip—died instantly.
