Chapter 4 - The Woman in Gold
Upstairs in the ballroom, as the emergency generators finally hummed to life and bathed the room in a pale, sterile white light, Celeste Vale was pacing furiously near the shattered remains of a champagne tower.
Her gold sequined gown shimmered like dragon scales under the flickering LEDs. Her face, usually a mask of flawless, expensive cosmetic perfection, was twisted with panic.
“This is an outrage!” Celeste shrieked at the remaining guests, who were huddled nervously near the exits. “Get me my phone! Someone find my father! That savage Sterling has lost his mind over some feral street brat!”
“Shut your mouth, Miss Vale,” Victor’s voice rumbled coldly as he stepped back into the ballroom, flanked by two armed guards who blocked the main exit.
Celeste whipped around, her eyes flashing with venom. “How dare you speak to me like that! Do you know who my family is? The Vales control half the municipal contracts in this state! When Adrian sees what a mistake he’s made—”
“Mr. Sterling isn't making any mistakes tonight,” Victor interrupted, his expression impassive. “He knows about the yacht explosion eleven years ago. He knows about the dummy accounts routed through the Vale corporation. And most importantly... he knows you were wearing the exact same perfume as the woman who sabotaged Isabelle’s brakes.”
Celeste’s breath hitched. Color drained completely from her face, leaving her foundation looking like a chalk mask.
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“You’re... you’re lying,” she stammered, taking a step backward. “There’s nothing down there. The room was sealed. Everything was burned!”
Victor smiled grimly—a terrifying sight. “That’s the problem with hiding things in a Sterling fortress, Miss Vale. You think you burned the evidence. But some secrets are written in iron and steel. And Mr. Sterling just found the key.”
