Chapter 7 - The Gala of Traps
The grand ballroom of the Drake Hotel was illuminated by crystal chandeliers and filled with the music of a live string quartet. Chicago’s corporate royalty, politicians, and media moguls gathered to celebrate the official ascension of Clara Vance as the head of the Vance Conglomerate.
I wore a floor-length emerald green gown, my hair styled in an elegant updo, accompanied by Julian Thorne. For three years, I had shrunk myself to fit into the narrow, abusive box Nathan and his family had built for me. Tonight, I stood tall, radiating the power and legacy my father had built.
“Are we sure he’ll take the bait?” Julian asked quietly, adjusting his bow tie as he offered me a glass of sparkling water.
“Nathan is predictable,” I replied, looking toward the grand entrance of the ballroom. “When a weak man is backed into a corner, he doesn't reflect—he attacks. He thinks that USB drive contains my father’s corporate secrets.”
“He has no idea those files contain an automatic digital signature that pings our security servers the moment they are connected to an external network,” Julian murmured with a faint smile.
At 9:15 PM, a commotion broke out near the security check-in at the ballroom doors.
Nathan, wearing a suit he had clearly bought off the rack at a department store, barged past the velvet ropes. Behind him were Victoria and Chloe, both looking wildly disheveled despite their attempts to dress up.
“I have a right to speak to my wife!” Nathan shouted at the security personnel, holding his phone high. “Clara! Look at me!”
The press cameras immediately turned toward the entrance. Flashbulbs exploded like lightning. The room fell silent as guests stepped back, whispering behind their hands.
Nathan pushed past a security guard and strode into the center of the ballroom, his chest puffed out, holding up the USB drive.
“You think you won, Clara?” Nathan yelled, his voice echoing under the high ceilings. “You think you can humiliate my family, destroy my reputation, and walk away as the shining queen of Vance Global? Inside this flash drive are your father’s illegal offshore records! I’ll send this to every news outlet in the country in five seconds unless you sign a settlement agreement right now!”
Victoria stepped forward, pointing a finger at me. “She’s a fraud! She drove her husband to desperation! She orchestrated the whole thing!”
The crowd gasped. Reporters began raising their microphones, eager for the ultimate high-society scandal.
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I didn't panic. I didn't hide.
I calmly walked down the grand marble steps, stopping just three feet away from Nathan.
