Chapter 7 - The High-Society Gala|
The grand hall of the Plaza Hotel was packed with billionaires, politicians, and the most powerful elites of high society. Crystal chandeliers reflected off diamond jewelry and glasses of vintage champagne.
When the double doors to the ballroom swung open, the orchestra’s music seemed to hush.
Eleanor Sterling walked in, radiant and commanding like a sovereign monarch. And walking arm-in-arm with her, stepping confidently in low-heeled designer shoes, was me.
The entire ballroom held its breath. Whispers ignited and spread like wildfire.
“Who is that? The woman walking with Mrs. Sterling!”
“Are the rumors true? The cold-blooded billionaire finally found her heir?”
I scanned the crowd, maintaining the perfect, unreachable smile Eleanor had taught me. And then, I spotted them. In the corner of the room, Julian was standing next to Maya and her father. His face was ashen, like he had just seen a ghost.
He was wearing a tuxedo that looked more wrinkled than usual, the dark circles under his eyes proving he had spent the last three weeks living in pure terror as his company faced total embargo. When our eyes met, Julian dropped his wine glass.
The sharp sound of shattering crystal echoed in the sudden quiet of their corner.
Eleanor stepped up to the podium and tapped the microphone.
“Ladies and gentlemen. Tonight is not just about charity. Tonight, I have the most important announcement of my entire life.”
She extended her hand toward me. Hundreds of camera flashes erupted, blindingly bright, illuminating the grand hall.
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“Allow me to introduce to the world, my biological daughter and the sole legal heir to the Sterling Empire: Clara Sterling.”
The crowd erupted into deafening applause. From a distance, I saw Julian start pushing frantically through the crowd toward the stage, his eyes wide with a desperate, manic frenzy. The game was finally beginning.
