Chapter 4 - THE VIRAL SPARK|
At 6:00 AM, the sun had not yet risen over the city, but the digital sky was already burning.
Inside Roa Chabi’s high-rise office on Bay Street, Imara sat wrapped in a wool blanket, holding a warm mug of chamomile tea. Cassian was sleeping peacefully on the leather sofa in the adjoining conference room.
Roa walked in, carrying an iPad display flickering with red and blue notification bars.
"It took six hours," Roa said, setting the tablet on the glass table in front of Imara. "Someone at Table 4 recorded the entire incident on an iPhone."
Imara stared at the screen.
The video was fifty-two seconds long. It showed the crowded ballroom, the sparkling chandeliers, and Dario Shimansky standing in white. Then came Beck—stepping forward, his posture rigid, raising his right hand and striking Imara across the face with brutal, casual force.
The audio captured the sharp crack of the impact, followed by the sound of breaking glass and Dario's theatrical sob.
The caption beneath the trending video read:
PROPERTY MOGUL BECKETT HAIL ASSAULTS PREGNANT WIFE AT $42M GALA.
"It has three million views," Roa said flatly. "It was picked up by the Globe and Mail forty minutes ago. Hail Development’s stock is down nine percent in pre-market trading."
Imara looked up, her expression surprisingly calm. "What is Beck doing?"
"His PR team has locked down his office," Roa replied, sitting across from her. "They released a statement claiming it was a 'medical emergency' and that you were hysterically threatening an employee. They’re trying to spin it as pregnancy-induced distress."
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Imara let out a bitter laugh. "They're calling me crazy."
"Let them," Roa smiled, a predatory gleam in her eyes. "Because in thirty minutes, we are filing the emergency restraining order, the divorce petition, and an injunction against Hail Development for copyright fraud. They won't know what hit them."
