Chapter 6 - THE GRAND REGENCY GALA
Saturday night arrived. The Grand Regency Ballroom was a sea of glittering crystal chandeliers, white-linen tables, velvet drapes, and tuxedo-clad elite from the city's highest legal and financial circles.
I wore a floor-length emerald green silk gown that hugged my frame elegantly, discreetly concealing the slight, soft curve of my sixteen-week bump. My hair was styled in an intricate updo, and my diamond drop earrings caught the light with every step I took.
Ethan walked beside me, his arm wrapped firmly around my waist. He was glowing with arrogance, shaking hands with senior judges, firm partners, and high-profile corporate clients.
"You look stunning tonight, Savannah," Ethan whispered in my ear as we mingled near the champagne fountain. "Everyone is looking at you. You’re doing me proud."
"I'm just playing my part, Ethan," I replied, offering a flawless smile as I accepted a glass of sparkling water from a passing waiter.
At 8:30 PM, the main doors of the ballroom opened, and a commotion caught the attention of the crowd near the entrance.
I turned to look.
My mother and Natalie had just walked into the private gala.
Natalie was wearing a lavish, low-cut red designer dress—a dress that cost four thousand dollars, charged directly to Ethan's compromised N&E Management corporate card. My mother was dressed in silver sequins, looking around the room with a boastful, triumphant expression.
Ethan’s smile instantly froze. His face went pale as milk. He violently tightened his grip on my waist, leaning down to whisper through gritted teeth, "What the hell are they doing here? Who invited them?"
I looked at him with innocent, wide eyes. "Oh! I invited them, darling! Natalie has been feeling so isolated with the baby, and Mom said she wanted to celebrate your big night with you. After all, we're family, aren't we?"
Ethan swallowed hard, sweat suddenly glistening at his hairline. "Savannah, this is an exclusive firm event! Only senior partners and spouses are allowed at the head tables!"
"Don't worry," I said soothingly, patting his chest. "I personally spoke to senior partner Sterling yesterday and arranged for them to sit directly at our table right in front of the stage."
Ethan looked like he was about to vomit. He stared in absolute horror as Natalie strutted across the room toward us, holding her head high, completely unaware that she was walking directly into a meat grinder.
"Ethan!" Natalie called out lightly as she reached us, her eyes locked on him with bold, possessive warmth. "You look incredible!"
"Natalie, Eleanor," Ethan rasped out, stepping slightly away from me and glancing nervously over his shoulder at the gathering law partners. "You... you shouldn't be here."
"Nonsense!" my mother declared loudly, drawing glances from nearby guests. "We are here to support our boy! The man of the hour!"
Natalie stepped right next to Ethan, intentionally brushing her shoulder against his arm. She looked at my emerald dress with a flicker of envy before offering me a patronizing smile. "You look nice, Savannah. A bit simple, but nice."
"Thank you, Natalie," I said smoothly. "I wanted to make sure all the attention stayed exactly where it belongs tonight."
At 9:00 PM, the chimes echoed through the ballroom, signaling the commencement of the formal presentations. The crowd of two hundred guests took their seats at the round banquet tables surrounding the main elevated stage.
Ethan sat at Table 1—the head table—flanked by me on his left, and Natalie and my mother on his right. Sitting directly across from us was Senior Partner Richard Sterling—the terrifying, sharp-eyed patriarch of Vance & Sterling Law—along with Julian Vance and the firm's executive committee.
Throughout the dinner, Ethan was visibly unraveling. His hands shook as he cut his steak, his eyes darting frantically toward Julian, then to Sterling, then to Natalie, who kept touching his knee under the table—a movement I watched with sharp, silent amusement.
Finally, Senior Partner Richard Sterling stood up, taking the microphone at the center podium. The ballroom fell dead silent.
"Ladies and gentlemen, esteemed colleagues, and honored guests," Sterling’s deep, booming voice echoed through the speaker system. "Tonight, Vance & Sterling celebrates another historic year of growth. But more importantly, tonight we recognize the rising leadership that will carry this firm into the next decade."
My mother clapped loudly, leaning over to whisper to Natalie, "Here it comes!"
"As many of you know," Sterling continued, "securing a partnership at this firm requires more than just legal talent. It requires absolute integrity, flawless financial stewardship, and an unblemished commitment to the ethics of our legal institution."
Ethan sat up, adjusting his tie, trying desperately to force a confident smile onto his face.
"Tonight," Sterling said, pulling a heavy white document folder from the podium, "we were prepared to announce the elevation of Ethan Vance to Senior Partner."
The table erupted in quiet gasps and smiles. Ethan began to lean forward, preparing to stand up.
"However," Sterling’s voice suddenly turned colder than arctic ice. He looked directly down at Table 1, his sharp eyes locking onto Ethan like a hawk. "In light of evidence delivered directly to the executive committee two hours ago, the firm has canceled the partnership vote, suspended Ethan Vance effective immediately, and initiated an emergency internal audit for criminal financial fraud."
A sudden, suffocating silence descended over the massive ballroom.
Ethan’s face went completely ghostly white. He froze mid-stand, his mouth hanging open in sheer, unadulterated shock.
"What?" my mother blurted out loudly, her voice cutting through the silent room. "What is the meaning of this?!"
Natalie gasped, her eyes wide with terror. "Ethan... what is he talking about?"
Senior Partner Sterling did not blink. He gestured to the large projection screens hanging above the stage—screens normally used to show corporate slideshows and promotional videos.
"Ethan Vance," Sterling declared coldly into the microphone. "You stand accused of forging client guarantees, embezzling martial assets, and using falsified property deeds to attempt a fraud-backed buy-in to this firm."
The projector flickered to life.
And across the massive, twenty-foot screens above the stage, giant high-definition images appeared.
They were not legal documents.
They were high-resolution, crystal-clear photographs of Ethan standing in Hospital Room 417, holding Natalie’s hand, kissing her forehead, and leaning over her newborn baby. And underneath the photographs, displayed in bold black text, was the complete transcript of the recorded audio from that hospital room:
“Our son is getting my last name.” “She’s too busy trying to fix her broken body to notice anything.” “Without Savannah paying the mortgage and credit cards, neither of you would have this life.”
The entire ballroom erupted into a violent, deafening storm of gasps, whispers, and horrified exclamations. Two hundred of the city’s most influential legal and corporate figures stared up at the screen in utter disgust, then turned their heads as one to stare directly at Table 1.
Ethan looked like he had been struck by lightning. He slumped back into his chair, trembling violently, staring up at the giant screens displaying his deepest, darkest secrets to the entire world.
Natalie let out a blood-curdling shriek, covering her face with her hands as people at nearby tables pulled out their phones, taking photos and videos of the scene.
My mother stood up, her jaw trembling, pointing a finger at the screen in complete, frantic denial. "This is a lie! This is a setup! Who did this?!"
I sat calmly in my chair, taking a slow, deliberate sip of my ice water.
May you like
Then, amidst the absolute chaos, I turned my head, looked directly at my husband, my sister, and my mother, and let out a quiet, graceful smile.
"I did," I said softly.
