Chapter 6 - The Setup
The annual St. Jude’s Charity Gala was the most exclusive event of the season. High society, old money, and new tech billionaires all gathered in the grand ballroom of the Plaza Hotel.
Marcus and Beatrice had secured invitations months ago, back when Marcus was still pretending to be a titan of industry. Desperate to keep up appearances and hoping to network his way into a loan, they attended. Marcus rented a tuxedo, and Beatrice wore a dress she had clearly purchased on a massive credit card limit.
They didn't know that the mysterious "Platinum Sponsor" of the gala, the one who had donated three million dollars to pediatric cancer research, was me.
I arrived an hour late, wearing a custom emerald-green gown that cost more than Marcus's entire logistics fleet. When I walked into the ballroom, heads turned. The whispers started immediately. Everyone had read the tabloid article, and they were eager for drama.
I saw Marcus and Beatrice hovering near the bar. Marcus was aggressively cornering a venture capitalist, sweating profusely as the man tried to politely escape.
I walked straight toward them.
When Beatrice saw me, her face contorted in absolute fury. "How dare you show your face here!" she hissed, stepping in front of Marcus. "Security! Remove this woman!"
"I don't think they'll do that, Beatrice," I said smoothly, grabbing a flute of champagne from a passing waiter. "Seeing as I paid for this entire event."
Marcus pushed past his mother, his eyes bloodshot. "You think you're so smart, Serena? My lawyers are going to tear you apart. You stole my life!"
"I didn't steal anything, Marcus. I repossessed it," I replied, taking a sip of the champagne. "By the way, how is Chloe doing? Is she enjoying the G-Wagon?"
Marcus froze. The color instantly drained from his face, leaving him looking like a corpse. "How... how do you know about Chloe?"
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"Who is Chloe?" Beatrice demanded, looking between us.
Before I could answer, the event organizer tapped the microphone on the main stage. "Ladies and gentlemen, if you could direct your attention to the screens, we have a special presentation from our Platinum Sponsor, Ms. Serena Hayes."
