(Flashback – Four years earlier)

It was a sticky summer night when Olivia stepped into the ballroom. The venue was a beautifully restored historic mansion, crystal chandeliers hanging from the high ceiling, amber lights glinting off champagne flutes. Electronic beats blended with sultry jazz created an atmosphere that felt both elegant and faintly hypnotic.

The black lace mask accentuated her light eyes. She wore a long, fitted midnight-blue silk gown with a high side slit that swayed with ever