Chapter 4 — Gala Under Tension

Luke

Luke Bennett adjusted the lapels of his suit jacket, the satin slightly crumpled from his hurried attempt at making himself look halfway respectable. The museum gala was in full swing, the grand hall of the Roman Museum of Antiquities alive with the soft hum of polite conversation, the clinking of crystal glasses, and the muted strains of a string quartet stationed near a towering marble statue of Apollo. The golden light reflecting off the chandeliers bathed the room in a warm glow, but to Luke, it felt uncomfortably bright, as though every corner of the room wanted to expose him.