Chapter 6 - The Setup at the Gala
The Grand Ballroom of the Plaza Hotel was a sea of silk, diamonds, and champagne. The city’s elite had gathered to celebrate the union of two empires. Lady Eleanor and Victoria stood near the grand entrance, greeting senators and CEOs, confident that their victory was absolute.
Then, the heavy double doors opened, and a sudden, shocking silence rippled through the room.
Nathaniel Ashford entered, his posture regal despite the slight limp. But it was the woman on his arm that caused the collective intake of breath. Elena Marsh was stunning. She wore a deep emerald green silk gown that complemented the warmth of her eyes, her hair pinned up elegantly, revealing the faint, honorable scars on her collarbone. Nathaniel had bypassed the high-end boutiques that answered to his mother and had a designer friend fly in from Paris specifically for her.
Victoria's glass of champagne shattered against the marble floor. Lady Eleanor’s face turned white as porcelain.
"What is the meaning of this insolence, Nathaniel?" Eleanor hissed, intercepting them before they could reach the main floor. "You are making a mockery of our family!"
"No, Mother," Nathaniel said clearly, his voice carrying over the silenced room. "I am introducing the future of it."
Before the press could descend with their flashing cameras, Victoria stepped forward, a triumphant, malicious smirk playing on her lips. She wasn't defeated; she had anticipated a desperate move.
"A lovely dress for a thief," Victoria announced loudly, ensuring the nearby journalists captured every word. "Nathaniel, your sentimentality has blinded you. Perhaps you should ask your little maid what is currently inside her velvet evening clutch. Because my family's heirloom diamond necklace—the one intended for our wedding—went missing from my suite at the penthouse this afternoon."
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A collective gasp echoed through the ballroom. Security guards immediately began to move in, encircling Elena.
Elena’s heart pounded against her ribs. She looked down at her small clutch. She hadn't left the hotel room Nathaniel provided for her until an hour ago. She knew she hadn't taken anything, but she also knew how easily evidence could be planted by people with unlimited money.
