The heavy silence in the grand convention hall felt cold and dangerous. Over a thousand wealthy people stared at the main stage with wide, shocked eyes. The bright white lights burned hot, but the air inside the room was so tense you could hear a single button fall to the floor.

Evelyn stood on the stage right next to the judge's long desk. Her slender body went still, but her head remained held high. Her clear blue eyes looked down at the white paper stamped with the blood red government seal. She did not scream, she did not cry, and she did not run away.

At the bottom of the...