Chapter 4 - The Groundbreaking Gala
The grand ballroom of the Grand Plaza Hotel was filled with the city's elite. Crystal chandeliers threw brilliant light over ice sculptures shaped like modern airplanes. Banners reading Vale Development: Building the Future hung from the towering ceilings.
Carter stood at the center of the room, wearing a bespoke tuxedo, his arm wrapped tightly around Lila, who was draped in a diamond necklace that used to belong to my grandmother. Evelyn stood beside them, sipping champagne, holding court with a group of international investors.
"We expect the first phase of the terminal to be completed by next spring," Carter boasted to a television reporter. "Our proprietary structural framework ensures maximum safety. It’s an innovation my team worked on for years."
"Your team didn't work on it for a single day, Carter," a voice echoed through the ballroom microphone system.
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The ambient music cut out instantly. The chatter died.
The heavy double doors at the back of the room swung open. Walking down the center aisle, dressed in a stunning, structured emerald dress, was me. My posture was flawless, the exhaustion of the past months hidden beneath an aura of absolute authority. And walking right beside me, holding a black leather briefcase, was Dr. Samuel Vale.
