There was a new program everyone was talking about—something that seemed to sweep through every conversation, every post, every whisper in the city. It was everywhere: on billboards, in office chatter, at dinner tables, and even on the news. The Bellcrest Charity Gala and Business Auction—the kind of gathering that made headlines, where the wealthiest people came dressed in elegance, trading art, influence, and power under chandeliers that looked like frozen stars.

At first, I didn’t ...