Chapter 55 Sparks And Shadows

• Gregg’s invitation arrived in a gilded envelope, the paper thick enough to slice skin. *“A public debate,”* it read, *“to address recent baseless allegations.”* The handwriting was too elegant, too deliberate—a spider inviting a fly to tea.
• I stood backstage at the studio, Lily’s drawings rolled tightly in my grip, their edges biting into my palm.
• The air smelled of hairspray and dread. Through the curtain, I could see Gregg at his podium, his smile polished to a mirror shine, reflecting the studio lights like a blade.