Chapter 18 - The Annual Gala Reimagined
Exactly one year after the disastrous incident at the Waldorf, the Sterling Foundation hosted its annual fundraiser. However, there were no crystal chandeliers, no velvet gowns, and no hushed, toxic whispers.
Instead, the event was held right on the floor of the Tech-Bridge Center. The dress code was strictly "business casual." Local food trucks catered the event in the parking lot, and the entertainment wasn't a string quartet, but the students themselves showcasing their year-long projects.
Maya walked the floor with Chairman Harrison. To her quiet amusement, Arthur Pendelton—the stern board member who had fought her the hardest—was currently locked in an intense conversation with Sofia. The teenager was confidently explaining the mechanics of a water-filtration drone her team had built.
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"Incredible," Arthur muttered, looking at the prototype. He turned to Maya, his previously harsh face softened by genuine respect. "I was wrong, Maya. We should have been doing this a decade ago."
"We're doing it now, Arthur," Maya said graciously. "That's what matters."
