The sharp cries of startled guests blended with the unmistakable sound of shattered porcelain, echoing endlessly beneath the glass-domed ceiling of the Grand Conservatory. For a moment, it felt as though time had fractured along with the fine china scattered across the marble floor. I stood frozen amid the chaos, my heartbeat racing so loudly it drowned out everything else. The scene unfolding around me felt unreal, as if I had stepped into a dream that no longer obeyed logic.

Moments earlier, the space had been filled with laughter, music, and the soft glow of chandeliers reflecting off crystal glasses. Now, confusion ruled. Guests whispered in alarm, some backing away instinctively, others craning their necks to understand what had gone wrong. The carefully curated perfection of the evening—months of planning, expectations, and promises—crumbled in an instant.

Through the haze of panic, I felt a sudden, firm grip around my wrist.

“Come on,” Sarah said urgently.

My sister’s voice cut through the noise like a lifeline. She didn’t wait for my response. Instead, she pulled me forward with surprising strength, forcing my body to move even though my thoughts lagged behind. My mind struggled to process what was happening, replaying fragments of moments from earlier in the evening—David’s rigid posture, the way his eyes darted toward the clock, the tension I hadn’t wanted to acknowledge.

As we pushed through the crowd, I caught a glimpse of him.

David stood near the center of the room, his expression dark and unguarded for the first time since I’d known him. The charming smile he wore so effortlessly was gone, replaced by something raw and unsettling. Anger. Panic. Calculation.

A chill ran through me.

In that moment, a horrifying realization surfaced: Sarah hadn’t overreacted. She hadn’t imagined the danger. Whatever she had discovered was real.