Chapter 6 - THE GALA WHERE EVERYTHING BROKE
Adrian claimed the ring meant nothing.
He said his father had inherited boxes of Charles Ward’s belongings after the funeral.
He said old cufflinks, watches, pens, and documents had moved between family properties for years.
Evelyn said she did not remember the ring.
Sebastian believed none of them.
But suspicion was not proof.
And proof became more important three nights later when Ward Holdings held its annual foundation gala.
Sebastian wanted to cancel.
The board refused.
Share prices had already dropped six percent after rumors began circulating that he was involved with Thomas Bell’s daughter.
Nobody publicly knew why that mattered yet.
But Wall Street smelled uncertainty the way sharks smelled blood.
Adrian argued cancellation would make the company look unstable.
Evelyn agreed.
Sebastian hated agreeing with both of them.
Valerie planned to stay home.
Then Naomi Cross called.
Naomi was an investigative journalist Valerie had known since college.
She had spent two days tracing the first story about Sebastian and Valerie.
She found something.
“The original tip didn’t go to a gossip site.”
Naomi said.
“It went to three reporters simultaneously.”
Valerie paced inside Jonah’s safe house.
“From where?”
“A media consulting company called Redline Strategies.”
“Who hired them?”
“That’s what I’m trying to confirm.”
“Naomi.”
“I need more time.”
“We don’t have more time.”
“You might.”
Naomi paused.
“Because the person paying Redline is attending the Ward gala tonight.”
Valerie stopped.
“Who?”
“I’m not saying over the phone.”
“Then meet me.”
“I will.”
“When?”
“At the gala.”
Valerie closed her eyes.
“I wasn’t planning to go.”
“Change your plan.”
Two hours later, Sebastian saw Valerie at the top of the ballroom staircase.
He forgot the sentence he was speaking.
Adrian noticed.
“So much for keeping distance.”
Sebastian ignored him.
Valerie wore dark green.
No diamonds.
No borrowed designer jewelry.
Nothing that belonged to the Ward family.
She looked like herself.
That mattered.
Sebastian crossed the ballroom.
Photographers immediately turned.
Valerie saw them.
Her shoulders tightened.
Sebastian stopped several feet away.
“Do you want me beside you?”
She looked surprised.
Not because of the question.
Because he had asked.
“Yes.”
He stepped beside her.
The flashes exploded.
Sebastian lowered his voice.
“You came.”
“For Naomi.”
His ego disliked that answer.
His heart respected it.
“Of course.”
Valerie looked at him.
“You almost sounded jealous.”
“I’m a billionaire.”
“We call it strategic concern.”
She laughed.
A real laugh.
Small.
But real.
Sebastian felt his chest tighten.
Then a woman approached.
Celeste Harrow.
Sebastian’s former fiancée.
Valerie knew exactly who she was.
Everyone did.
Celeste came from old banking money.
Perfect posture.
Perfect smile.
Perfect ability to make cruelty sound like conversation.
“Sebastian.”
She kissed the air beside his cheek.
Then she looked at Valerie.
“So this is Valerie.”
Valerie smiled.
“So this is Celeste.”
Sebastian nearly choked.
Celeste’s smile sharpened.
“I’ve heard so much.”
Valerie tilted her head.
“That seems to be happening to me lately.”
Sebastian stepped in.
“Celeste.”
“What?”
“I was welcoming her.”
“No.”
“You were circling.”
Celeste laughed.
“You always did make women sound like hostile acquisitions.”
Valerie looked at Sebastian.
“That explains several things.”
Celeste’s eyes moved between them.
Then she lowered her voice.
“I suppose there are advantages to being memorable.”
Valerie frowned.
Celeste smiled sweetly.
“Especially when one has so little experience.”
The blood drained from Valerie’s face.
Sebastian went still.
“What did you say?”
Celeste’s smile disappeared.
“I—”
“Who told you?”
“Sebastian.”
“Who told you?”
People nearby had begun watching.
Celeste looked uncomfortable.
“I heard it.”
“Where?”
“Everyone has heard it.”
“No.”
Sebastian stepped closer.
“Reporters heard it.”
“Now you just repeated it.”
“Who told you?”
Celeste looked toward Adrian.
Only for half a second.
But Sebastian saw it.
So did Valerie.
Adrian stood across the ballroom speaking to two board members.
Sebastian turned.
Valerie caught his arm.
“Not here.”
“He told her.”
“We don’t know that.”
“I saw her look.”
“So did I.”
“Then let me—”
“Sebastian.”
He stopped.
Valerie’s hand remained on his sleeve.
“If someone wants you angry, don’t give them exactly what they want.”
He looked at her.
“When did you become the rational one?”
“About five disasters ago.”
Across the ballroom, the lights dimmed.
The foundation presentation was beginning.
Sebastian and Valerie moved toward the front.
Naomi was nowhere in sight.
Valerie checked her phone.
One message.
RUNNING LATE.
DON’T LEAVE WITHOUT ME.
Sebastian took the stage.
He spoke for seven minutes about housing access and redevelopment.
Then the screens behind him went black.
Sebastian stopped.
The technical director began signaling frantically.
A video appeared.
Security footage.
Sebastian’s private elevator.
Valerie entering his penthouse the previous night.
Gasps moved through the ballroom.
Sebastian’s face became stone.
“Turn it off.”
Nothing happened.
Then audio played.
Valerie’s voice.
But the sentences sounded strange.
Cut.
Spliced.
Edited.
“I need Sebastian to trust me.”
Pause.
“My father deserves revenge.”
Pause.
“If he wants me, I can use that.”
Valerie stopped breathing.
Sebastian turned toward her.
The ballroom erupted.
Phones rose.
Cameras flashed.
Valerie’s face went white.
“That isn’t real.”
Sebastian moved off the stage.
“I know.”
“You believe me?”
“Yes.”
The answer came instantly.
No hesitation.
Something inside her expression broke.
On the screen, another edited line played.
“One night might be enough.”
Valerie’s eyes filled.
Sebastian grabbed the microphone.
“Shut the system down.”
No one responded.
He ripped the cable from the podium.
The speakers died.
Silence.
Sebastian looked across more than eight hundred guests.
“Anyone who records or distributes illegally obtained private material from my residence will hear from our attorneys before sunrise.”
Adrian hurried toward him.
“Sebastian.”
“Not now.”
“This is becoming a disaster.”
“It became a disaster when someone bugged my home.”
A ripple moved through the crowd.
Adrian’s face tightened.
“You just admitted that publicly.”
“Yes.”
“Are you insane?”
“No.”
Sebastian looked directly at the cameras.
“My private residence was illegally surveilled.”
“Ms. Bell’s voice was edited.”
“She is not responsible for what you just heard.”
Valerie stared at him.
Celeste whispered something to a friend.
Sebastian heard it.
He turned.
“If you have something to say, Celeste, say it where everyone can hear.”
She went silent.
Sebastian looked back at Valerie.
“Do you want to leave?”
“Yes.”
They walked through the ballroom together.
Not touching.
But together.
Outside, Naomi was still missing.
Valerie called.
No answer.
Again.
No answer.
Sebastian opened the car door.
“Jonah will take us.”
“I want to go to Naomi’s.”
“No.”
Valerie looked at him.
Sebastian caught himself.
He exhaled.
“I think going there could be dangerous.”
“Better.”
He almost smiled.
“Do you want to go?”
“Yes.”
“Then we go.”
They entered the SUV.
Five blocks later, Valerie’s phone rang.
Naomi.
She answered immediately.
“Where are you?”
Breathing.
Fast.
Then Naomi whispered.
“Don’t trust—”
The call cut.
Valerie stared at the screen.
“Naomi?”
No response.
She called back.
Voicemail.
Sebastian leaned forward.
“Jonah.”
“I heard.”
“Trace it.”
“I’m trying.”
The SUV suddenly swerved.
Valerie grabbed the seat.
“What happened?”
Jonah looked toward the driver.
“Brake response is wrong.”
Sebastian’s head snapped up.
The driver pumped the pedal.
Nothing.
They were descending toward an intersection.
The traffic light ahead turned red.
Cars crossed in front of them.
“Emergency brake.”
Jonah ordered.
The driver pulled it.
The SUV fishtailed.
Valerie screamed.
Sebastian wrapped one arm around her and dragged her down.
The vehicle jumped the curb.
Hit a concrete barrier.
Glass shattered.
Metal screamed.
Then silence.
Sebastian opened his eyes.
Smoke drifted through the cabin.
“Valerie?”
No answer.
His heart stopped.
“Valerie!”
She coughed.
“I’m here.”
Sebastian closed his eyes for half a second.
Jonah kicked open the passenger door.
“Everyone out.”
Sebastian unfastened Valerie’s belt.
She pushed at him.
“I can move.”
“Good.”
He let her.
They climbed out.
The driver had a bleeding forehead but remained conscious.
Jonah crouched beside the front wheel.
Within seconds, his expression changed.
“What?”
Sebastian asked.
Jonah pointed toward a severed brake line.
“That didn’t happen in the crash.”
Valerie stared.
“Someone cut it?”
“Yes.”
Police sirens approached.
Then Jonah noticed something attached near the wheel well.
A small metal clamp.
He removed it carefully.
A faded serial plate remained attached.
Valerie saw the letters.
BELL SYSTEMS.
Her face went cold.
Sebastian stared at it.
“They’re framing you.”
Valerie looked toward the damaged SUV.
Then at Sebastian.
“No.”
Her voice shook.
“They’re doing something worse.”
“What?”
“They’re making sure that every time someone attacks me…”
May you like
She looked at the Bell logo.
“…the evidence points back to my dead father.”
