Soft music floated through the Denovan estate, carried by the gentle summer breeze. The vast grounds, trimmed and polished for the event, were alive with color and elegance. 

It was Anika’s birthday—a day the Denovans had prepared for with great care, determined to make it as grand and joyful as possible, not just to mark her special day, but to help her heal after the trauma of her recent kidnapping.

Guests from the city’s most prominent families had arrived in style. Sleek black cars lined the estate’s private driveway, each one letting out a gentleman in a crisp suit or a lady in a sparkling gown. Security guards in dark...