Chapter 1 - The Echoes of the Past
The word hung heavily in the dead silence of the grand ballroom.
Arthur Beaumont, the legendary hotel tycoon, fell to his knees right in front of her.
He didn't care about his expensive suit or the hundreds of cameras pointing at them.
He reached out a trembling hand and gently touched the young woman's cheek.
"Eleanor," he breathed out, the name carrying twelve years of absolute agony.
The young woman, whose name tag read 'Maya', stumbled backward in pure shock.
She clutched the torn blue fabric of her dress, her mind spinning out of control.
"Sir, I think you are mistaken," Maya whispered, her voice shaking violently.
"I am just a waitress from the catering company."
Cassandra marched forward, her heels clicking aggressively against the marble floor.
"Arthur, get up right now!" Cassandra hissed, her face flushed with anger and embarrassment.
"You are making a fool of yourself over this trash!"
Arthur slowly turned his head, and his eyes locked onto Cassandra with terrifying fury.
"Do not ever speak to my granddaughter that way," his voice boomed, echoing off the crystal chandeliers.
The entire room gasped in unison as the realization hit them.
The legendary Eleanor Beaumont, presumed dead in the tragic fire twelve years ago, was standing right there.
Cassandra's face lost all its color.
If this girl was truly Eleanor, Cassandra's entire inheritance would vanish into thin air.
Arthur stood up and took off his suit jacket, wrapping it carefully around Maya's exposed shoulders.
"Cancel the gala," Arthur ordered his head of security.
"Clear everyone out immediately."
Cassandra tried to protest, but the guards were already moving the elite guests toward the exits.
May you like
Maya looked down at the breathtaking diamond necklace resting against her chest.
For the first time in her life, the fragmented memories of smoke and fire in her nightmares began to make sense.
