PART ONE: THE BOY WHO DIDN’T BELONG
The grand ballroom of the Hamilton Grand Hotel shimmered beneath enormous crystal chandeliers. Soft violin music floated through the room while waiters moved gracefully between elegantly dressed guests, carrying silver trays of champagne and expensive appetizers.
The annual Montgomery Foundation Gala had attracted some of Chicago’s most powerful people.
Business executives discussed investments beside marble columns. Politicians smiled for photographers. Socialites compared vacation homes and designer gowns while pretending not to notice who had arrived wearing last season’s fashion.
At the center of it all stood Isabella Montgomery.
