Chapter 30 - Into the Viper's Den
|
Walking through the double glass doors of the Grand Ballroom was like stepping into another universe. Champagne glasses clinked, classical violin music drifted through the warm air, and hundreds of Seattle’s wealthiest elite laughed and conversed beneath crystal chandeliers.
I pulled my shoulders back, holding my head high as I swept past the security guards at the entrance.
Within seconds, the room fell silent near the entrance. Whispers spread like wildfire through the crowd.
"Is that Clara Walker?"
"I thought her husband died..."
"Look at her..."
I ignored the glances, taking a glass of champagne from a passing waiter's tray, my heart hammer-striking against my ribs. Across the room, standing near a raised VIP dais surrounded by security detail, was my father, Arthur Walker, and Victor Vance.
Victor Vance was a tall, silver-haired man with cold blue eyes and a razor-thin mustache. When his eyes landed on me, his smile faded completely. He leaned over and whispered something into my father's ear.
Arthur turned slowly. When he saw me standing in the middle of the ballroom, his glass stopped halfway to his lips.
I smiled cold, lifted my champagne glass toward him in a silent toast, and drank.
Arthur gestured to two of his heavy-set security men, then began walking down the marble stairs toward me, his face a mask of restrained fury.
May you like
"Clara," Arthur said as he reached me, his voice a low hiss. "You are making a catastrophic mistake."
"Am I, Dad?" I replied smoothly, taking a step closer so only he could hear. "Or am I just making sure I have a front-row seat to your funeral?"
