Chapter 85 The Gala Of Lies

• The opera house was a cathedral of lies.
• Crystal chandeliers dripped light onto marble floors, fracturing the crowd below into a thousand glittering shards.
• Men in tuxedos laughed with too-white teeth, their diamond cufflinks catching the light like winking eyes. Women in gowns that cost more than a year of Mom’s salary sipped champagne, their smiles sharp enough to draw blood. I adjusted the press badge digging into my collarbone and clutched my recorder like a lifeline.