Chapter 1: The Facade Cracks
Elena Vance always curated her life with the precision of a jeweler setting diamonds. Tonight, at the annual Sterling Foundation Gala, she wore the infamous "Serpent's Tear" necklace—not as an accessory, but as armor. Her dark hair was pulled into an unforgiving bun, emphasizing the stark, wide-eyed shock captured in image_0.png. As she accepted the applause for a record-breaking donation, her gaze locked onto a figure in the periphery. It wasn’t the flash of paparazzi that stole the color from her face; it was the familiar glint of a specific, non-disclosure agreement breaking in real-time. Someone knew. And that someone was smiling.
