The lights dimmed without warning moments later.
They snapped off, plunging the hall into a collective hush that felt deliberate, calculated.
Conversations died mid-sentence. Glasses paused halfway to lips. Every head turned toward the stage as a single spotlight bloomed to life, white and sharp, cutting through the darkness like intent.
Gianna's spine straightened instinctively. Right on schedule, she thought, picking a glass of champagne, her first for the day, off the tray of a server.
Questions rippled through the crowd, curiosity replacing the lingering tension from moments earlier.
Even the moderator looked momentarily caught off guard before stepping aside, hand lifting toward the stage in a gesture of surrender.
"And now," a voice boomed through the speakers—deep, smooth, unmistakably rehearsed, "Beckett's Jewelry presents a special showcase…"
Gianna's breath caught, anticipation boiling fast, nerves reacting.
