Ocean....
Hours Earlier
The afternoon at the Hart mansion was calm, elegant, and deceptively normal.
Sunlight filtered gently through the tall floor-to-ceiling glass windows, casting a soft golden glow over the luxurious sitting area where Juliana Hart sat with a small group of her closest friends. Fine china clinked delicately as they sipped fragrant tea from exquisite porcelain cups. The air was filled with polite laughter, quiet gossip, and the faint, sophisticated scent of expensive perfume mixed with fresh-cut flowers arranged in crystal vases.
It was the kind of gathering that thrived entirely on appearances, refined, controlled, and perfectly curated. Every gesture, every smile, every word was measured and intentional.
And today was no different.
