fiction

Chapter 6 - The Crack in the Armor

The engagement party for Chloe Vance was held at the Grand Plaza Hotel in downtown Richmond. The ballroom was filled with Virginia’s elite—politicians, judges, corporate titans, and media reporters.

Inside the bride's suite, Chloe sat staring at her reflection in the mirror, her hand shaking as she held a glass of champagne.

Suddenly, her phone buzzed on the vanity. The screen displayed an unknown caller ID.

Trembling, she pressed answer. "Hello?"

"Did you really think dirt could keep me down, Chloe?" my voice whispered softly through the speaker.

Chloe dropped her champagne glass, the crystal shattering across the hardwood floor. "C-Clara?! Oh God... you're alive? Or am I going crazy?"

"I'm very much alive, Chloe," I said, my tone smooth and unwavering. "And so is Mark's child. I know you're not like your mother. You have a heart, but you're letting her drag you into a life of crime and attempted murder."

"I was terrified!" Chloe sobbed into the phone, hiding in the bathroom. "She threatened to ruin my life! What do you want from me?"

"A redemption," I answered. "In your dress pocket, there is a flash drive you need to plug into the hotel's main media server before the toast. Do this, and Detective Miller will grant you full immunity. Refuse, and you will go to federal prison as an accomplice to attempted murder."

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There was a long silence on the line. I could hear Chloe's ragged breathing.

"I'll do it," she whispered. "I'll do it."

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