Chapter 1: The Gala Becomes a Crime Scene
Chapter 1: The Gala Becomes a Crime Scene
Panic swept through the ballroom.
Guests rushed toward the towering steel barriers, pounding with desperate fists.
Nothing moved.
The reinforced doors had been designed to withstand explosions, not frightened billionaires.
The man who had attacked me—Victor Langford—took an uneasy step backward.
"You locked us in?"
I calmly shook my head.
"No."
"My father did."
A low hum echoed through hidden speakers.
Then a familiar voice filled the room.
"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen."
The crowd froze.
"My name is Theodore Hayes, Chairman of Hayes Global Security."
"As of this moment, the ballroom has been placed under emergency containment at the request of my daughter."
Gasps rippled across the hall.
Victor stared at me.
"Your... daughter?"
I wiped the last trace of blood from my lip.
"My name isn't Emily Carter."
"It is Emily Hayes."
The enormous LED screens surrounding the ballroom flickered to life.
Security footage appeared from every angle.
One camera showed Victor deliberately blocking my path.
Another captured him grabbing my arm.
A third revealed him hurling me into the marble wall while dozens of influential guests stood only feet away.
Not one person intervened.
The video continued.
Clear.
Unedited.
Impossible to deny.
May you like
Silence replaced panic.
The evidence spoke louder than anyone in the room ever could.
