Chapter 136: The Gathering Storm

The ballroom buzzed with the hum of conversation, the air thick with the smell of expensive perfume and the soft clink of glasses being raised in quiet toasts. The summit had begun, and the glittering array of influential figures, political leaders, and business moguls had gathered, all eager to bask in the aura of Evelyn's power.

Malia stood near the back of the room, watching, waiting. The lights overhead glittered, casting long shadows across the polished floor. Evelyn stood at the front, her posture poised, her smile wide and confident, greeting the attendees with a charm that had made her nearly untouchable. She looked every bit the part of the leader she had always strived to be—a woman who had clawed her way to the top, leaving destruction in her wake, and now stood poised to secure her reign.