Chapter 11 - The Gala of the Century
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The annual Vance Global Winter Gala was held at the Plaza Hotel—a legendary gathering of international world leaders, tech billionaires, and European royalty.
The ballroom was decorated in ice-blue silk, hanging crystal chandeliers, and thousands of white orchids.
I arrived at 8:00 PM, escorted by Dominic and a flank of private security.
I wore a floor-length emerald green silk gown, a diamond necklace that had once belonged to a queen, and my hair swept up in an elegant crown. I was no longer the quiet wife who served tea in a silent house. I was the head of the house.
As I walked through the ballroom, foreign dignitaries and fortune 500 CEOs lined up just to shake my hand and exchange a few words of congratulation.
"Ms. Vance," said Lord Sterling, a British banking tycoon, lifting his champagne glass toward me. "Your return to the helm has stabilized the European markets remarkably. Brilliant play with the logistics acquisition this morning."
"Thank you, Lord Sterling," I smiled softly. "When one clears away dead weight, business moves much faster."
Suddenly, a commotion broke out near the main entrance of the ballroom.
Shouting echoed over the gentle string quartet music. Guests turned their heads in shock as a man pushed past the velvet ropes, tearing his jacket away from the hotel security guards.
It was Adrian.
He looked hollowed out. His eyes were bloodshot, his face unshaven, his expensive suit stained and crumpled. He had somehow managed to sneak past the outer security using a forged press badge.
"Evelyn!" Adrian screamed, his voice cracking with desperate emotion as he sprinted into the center of the grand ballroom.
The music stopped instantly. The crowd of billionaires and aristocrats parted, looking at Adrian with expressions of utter disgust and shock.
May you like
Dominic immediately stepped in front of me, his hand moving toward his shoulder holster, but I gently laid two fingers on his arm.
"Stand down, Dominic," I said softly. "Let him speak."
