Under the glass spider lamps of the Waldorf Astoria ballroom, everything glittered the way powerful people liked it to. Crystal chandeliers scattered warm light across polished marble floors, waiters carried trays of champagne, and photographers hovered near the red carpet waiting for the evening’s most generous donors to arrive.
The charity gala had one clear purpose: raise money for children’s hospitals while giving the city’s elite another chance to polish their public reputations.
At the center of attention stood Julian Royce, a real estate billionaire whose name appeared constantly in magazines beside words like visionary, philanthropist, and self-made success. Investors admired him, politicians courted him, and charity boards loved the size of his donations.
