Chapter 5 - The Gala Gambit
The night of the gala, the house was a flurry of activity. I knew this was my only chance. While the house was swarming with people, I slipped into my father’s office. I had one goal: upload the entire cache of files to The Archive.
The security was tight, but I had spent weeks mapping the patrol patterns. I used the distraction of the gala music and the flow of caterers to reach the study. As I plugged in the drive, the door clicked open.
"I knew you were smart, Clara," Brenda said, stepping in. She wasn't holding a plate; she was holding a heavy, black handgun. "But smart girls know when to keep their mouths shut."
"You killed her," I said, my voice steady, my heart pounding against my ribs like a war drum. "And you're not going to kill me."
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"Oh, I think I am," she smiled, stepping closer.
Suddenly, the lights flickered and died. The silent alarm I had triggered began to wail—not to the police, but to a private, encrypted security firm that my mother had paid into years ago, specifically for this scenario. The room erupted in motion.
