Chapter 4 - The Men in Black
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When the main doors of the ballroom swung open, they didn't just creak—they hit the marble walls with a heavy, authoritative thud that demanded absolute attention.
The jazz band, noticing the sudden disturbance at the entrance, faltered and stopped playing. The low hum of elite networking and cruel gossip died in an instant.
Four men entered the room.
They were massive, standing well over six feet tall, dressed in identical, impeccably tailored black suits. They wore dark earpieces and moved with the terrifying, synchronized precision of men who were completely accustomed to violence, order, and being instantly obeyed.
Nobody was laughing now.
The guests closest to the doors instinctively stepped back, parting like the Red Sea as the four men walked purposefully down the center aisle of the ballroom. They didn't look at the extravagant ice sculptures, they didn't look at the bride, and they certainly didn't look at my father.
Their eyes swept the room tactically until they locked onto me, sitting alone at Table 19.
They marched straight toward my corner, their expensive leather shoes clicking in unison against the marble floor. When they reached my table, two men positioned themselves behind my chair, while the other two stood on either side, crossing their hands in front of them.
My cousin Tiffany practically leaped out of the way, her champagne spilling onto her own dress.
Across the room, my mother’s expression was the first to change. The smug satisfaction melted off her face, replaced by genuine, profound confusion. She stood up from the head table, her diamond necklace catching the light.
“Meredith...” my mother called out, her voice trembling slightly without the microphone. “Who... who are these people?”
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I didn't get the chance to answer her.
Because before anyone could process the presence of the bodyguards, another figure appeared in the doorway. And this time, all the oxygen in the room completely vanished.
