Chapter 6 - The Grand Gala
The ballroom was magnificent, filled with crystal chandeliers, floating ice sculptures, and over two hundred guests in formal attire. Live jazz music drifted through the air as servers carried trays of champagne.
At the center of the room stood Scott, holding a glass of scotch, surrounded by three senior board members. Standing right beside him, wearing a skimpy red dress and laughing loudly at his jokes, was Vanessa. Scott had his hand casually rested on the small of her back.
He looked completely untouchable. He looked like a man who believed he had won at life.
"Wait for my signal," Brandon whispered to me. He squeezed my arm gently and walked off toward the executive table where the CEO of Scott’s company, Mr. Harrison, was sitting.
I stepped back into the shadows of the mezzanine, watching.
Ten minutes later, the CEO stepped up to the main podium on the stage. The microphone chimed, and the room fell quiet.
"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen," Mr. Harrison announced, his deep voice carrying over the loudspeakers. "Tonight, we celebrate a landmark year of growth. And as part of our future, it is my pleasure to announce the promotion of our new Vice President of Operations..."
Scott smoothed his tuxedo jacket, a broad, triumphant grin spreading across his face. Vanessa leaned in and kissed his cheek.
"...a position that requires absolute integrity, leadership, and vision," Mr. Harrison continued.
Before Mr. Harrison could read Scott’s name from the card, the massive projection screens on either side of the stage flickered.
Instead of showing the company’s promotional video, the screens suddenly displayed a crisp, high-resolution document: an external audit report from Brandon’s engineering firm, highlighting over $400,000 in unverified wire transfers to Apex Horizon Holdings.
A collective murmur rippled through the crowd.
Scott’s grin froze. His face went instantly pale.
"What is the meaning of this?" Mr. Harrison snapped, looking back at the AV booth in confusion.
Then, the screen switched again.
This time, it showed clear surveillance photographs of Scott and Vanessa entering luxury hotels, followed by bank statements showing joint account funds being funneled into private offshore accounts.
The ballroom exploded into frantic whispers. Guests began pointing, whispering, and pulled out their phones. Vanessa gasped, took three steps back from Scott, and tried to melt into the crowd.
Scott stood in the center of the room, looking around frantically, his eyes wild with panic.
"This is a mistake! Somebody hacked the system!" Scott shouted, his voice cracking with desperation. "Turn it off!"
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That was my cue.
I stepped out from the shadows of the mezzanine and walked down the grand marble staircase, the emerald green of my dress catching the light of every chandelier in the room.
