The Ritz-Carlton glows like a jewel against the night sky.
We arrive at exactly seven-fifteen—Lucas times these things with precision—and I'm wearing the emerald dress, the one Elena bought me years ago. Sophie has somehow transformed into an elegant version of herself in deep blue, her usual chaos subdued but still flickering beneath the surface. Kevin wears a meticulously pressed charcoal suit with a tie that perfectly matches Sophie's dress—a detail she noticed immediately and has been trying not to smile about ever since. Maggie, who insisted on meeting us in the lobby rather than arriving alone, is wearing a floral tea-length dress with a modest neckline and small pearl earrings that Diana gave her as a "pre-dinner gift."
"She just handed them to me," Maggie whispers, still dabbing at her eyes. "She said every woman should own a pair of pearls. She said I deserved them. I've never owned pearls before, Ms. Chen. I don't know what to do with my hands."
