Chapter 5 - The Public Unmasking
Gwen walked down the final steps of the grand staircase, her tall heels clicking softly against the marble floor.
The crowd parted instantly, creating a wide, respectful corridor for Vance Crawford and his daughter. Billionaires, state governors, and tech titans bowed their heads as Gwen passed, whispering in breathless awe.
"Is that really Gwendolyn Crawford?"
"I thought she vanished six years ago!"
"My God, she looks like a queen..."
"Look at that blue diamond around her neck... That's worth more than Albright Enterprises' entire market cap!"
Spencer stood frozen in the middle of the aisle, his face pale, sweat pouring down his collar.
As Gwen approached, Spencer’s brain scrambled frantically to find a way out of the quicksand pulling him under. He took a staggering step forward, raising his hands in a desperate, pathetic gesture.
"Gwen!" Spencer stammered, his voice loud enough to echo in the quiet room. "Gwen... darling! What... what is this? Why didn't you tell me?! Why were you hiding this from us for six years?!"
Vance Crawford stopped.
Slowly, the towering old titan turned his piercing grey eyes toward Spencer Albright. The aura of sheer power radiating from Vance was so intense that Spencer felt as if his lungs were collapsing.
"Did you just address my daughter, sir?" Vance asked, his voice low, deep, and laced with absolute venom.
"Mr. Crawford! Sir!" Spencer pleaded, stepping closer, though Thomas and two six-foot-four private Crawford security guards immediately stepped in front of him, blocking his path. "There's been a massive misunderstanding! Gwen is my wife! We’ve been married for six years! We have a daughter together!"
Gwen stepped past her father’s security detail, stopping three feet away from Spencer.
She looked at him not with anger, not with hatred, but with a cold, absolute indifference that cut deeper than any blade.
"Ex-husband, Spencer," Gwen said, her clear voice carrying across the entire ballroom. "You made me sign the divorce papers at five o'clock today, remember? You threw them at my chest after your mistress knocked two of my daughter's baby teeth onto your living room floor."
A sudden, sharp gasp ripped through the ballroom.
The politicians, the socialites, the journalists holding hidden recording devices—everyone froze, their eyes widening in utter shock.
"What?" Senator Vance whispered from the crowd, his face twisting in disgust. "He hit a child?"
"No! That’s a lie! She's lying!" Cassandra shrieked, panicking as she saw the horror on every face around her. She grabbed Spencer’s arm, crying hysterically. "Spencer, tell them she's lying! I didn't hit anyone! The child tripped!"
Gwen raised her right hand slightly.
"Thomas," she said softly.
"Yes, Miss Crawford," Thomas said, stepping forward with a remote control.
Above the main ballroom stage, three massive high-definition LED screens that were supposed to display the promotional videos for the Pinnacle Gala suddenly flickered and turned black.
A second later, crystal-clear high-definition security footage began to play.
It was the living room of the Bel Air mansion from four hours ago.
The audio played loudly through the ballroom's concert-grade sound system, filling every corner of the vast hall with horrifying clarity:
“Your daughter ruined my dress!” Cassandra’s voice shrieked on the screen.
CRACK!
The visual showed Cassandra striking five-year-old Hazel across the face with full force. On screen, the little girl stumbled backward, hitting the marble floor as blood poured from her mouth, two white specks bouncing across the tiles.
Then Spencer’s voice echoed through the speakers:
“Gwen, control that child. She touches everything. She ruins everything.”
And finally, Patricia’s cold voice:
“What a mess. That child brings nothing but trouble.”
The video cut to black.
The ballroom was so silent you could hear a pin drop on the carpet.
In the crowd, several high-society mothers covered their mouths, tears of rage springing to their eyes. Men in suits glared at Spencer and Cassandra with murderous fury.
"You monsters," a female tech CEO spat from the third row.
"Security!" Senator Vance roared, his face red with outrage. "Get these disgusting animals out of this building immediately!"
Spencer fell to his knees on the cold floor, looking at Gwen with hollow, terrified eyes.
"Gwen... please..." Spencer sobbed, tears finally spilling down his cheeks, ruining his pathetic composure. "I didn't know... I swear I didn't know she was hurting Hazel! Please, save my company! My mother will die in prison! Please, Gwen, I love you!"
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Gwen looked down at the man kneeling at her feet.
"You never loved me, Spencer," Gwen whispered, leaning down slightly so only he could hear her final words to him. "You loved the idea of power. And tonight, you are going to watch me take every last drop of it away."
