Chapter 3 - The Gala of Ghosts
The Grand Ballroom of the Regency Hotel was draped in black silk and white roses.
Over three hundred of the city’s most influential figures—venture capitalists, senators, tech executives, and high-society journalists—gathered under the crystal chandeliers. At the front of the room stood a massive stage with a podium and a large projection screen displaying a high-resolution photograph of Emma and Ethan playing in a summer garden.
Daniel stood near the stage, wearing a tailored tuxedo, holding a glass of sparkling water. Vanessa was by his side, shimmering in a floor-length silver gown that was far too glamorous for a memorial gala, acting as the graceful hostess.
"Thank you all for coming," Daniel announced into the microphone, his voice echoing smoothly across the room. "The loss of my sweet Emma and Ethan has left a hole in my heart that can never be filled. But as CEO of Vance Global Security, I know my children would want us to protect others. Tonight, I am officially launching the Vance Children’s Safety Initiative..."
The crowd applauded softly. Behind Daniel, the massive screen flickered, preparing to display a promotional slide deck about the new foundation.
Suddenly, the house lights in the ballroom flickered twice and died.
A collective gasp swept through the room. The ambient music cut out completely.
"What's going on with the power?" Daniel demanded into the microphone, his voice sharp with irritation. "Tech team, fix the lights!"
Before his security detail could react, the massive projection screen behind Daniel burst into bright, blinding light.
Instead of the corporate slide deck, a video began to play in crystal-clear 4K resolution.
It was the video captured by my brooch at the funeral three days ago.
The entire room watched in stunned, absolute silence as Daniel’s face appeared on the 30-foot screen. They heard his harsh, arrogant voice cut through the chapel silence:
“This is what happens when an irresponsible woman calls herself a mother.”
The room gasped as the video clearly showed Daniel stepping forward and striking me across the face, followed by his cold whisper:
“Keep talking, and you’ll regret it.”
Vanessa’s quiet, satisfied laugh echoed through the ballroom speakers, crisp and terrifying.
Panicked, Daniel spun around, his face turning an unsightly, sallow gray. "Turn it off! Turn off the projector right now! Somebody pull the plug!"
His security guards rushed toward the AV booth, but the doors were electronically locked from the inside. Marcus had overridden the hotel’s network twenty minutes earlier.
"This is a fake!" Daniel screamed into the microphone, his hands shaking wildly. "This is a deepfake generated by my mentally unstable ex-wife! Don't look at it!"
Before the crowd could digest the funeral assault video, the screen flickered again.
A dark audio visualizer appeared on the screen, labeled with official forensic timestamps: LAKE HOUSE MASTER BEDROOM – 8:17 PM.
Emma’s small, sweet voice flickered across the ballroom speakers in an old recording: "Daddy... the alarm is making a quiet beep sound..."
Then came the cold, terrifying reply from the smartwatch recording:
A man’s voice: "Once she takes the blame, the company belongs to us." Vanessa’s voice: "And the children?" Daniel’s voice: "They’re already asleep."
A horrifying wave of shock crashed through the room. Women covered their mouths in terror. Investors backed away from the stage as if Daniel were covered in plague.
"No... no!" Vanessa shrieked, backing away from Daniel, her silver dress rustling violently. "That's not me! That's not my voice!"
The heavy oak double doors at the back of the ballroom swung open.
I stepped into the room.
I wore a sharp, tailored white suit—the exact opposite of the mourning black I had worn to the funeral. My hair was pulled back cleanly, my posture straight as steel. Walking beside me were four senior agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, led by Special Agent Catherine Roy, alongside two state prosecutors.
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The crowd parted instantly, creating a wide aisle for me as I walked toward the stage.
"Daniel Vance," Agent Roy declared, her voice booming over the dead silence of the ballroom. "You are under arrest for federal wire fraud, corporate embezzlement, and two counts of First-Degree Murder."
