Chapter 7

The next evening.

A sleek, black, bulletproof SUV idled quietly on the street outside the luxury apartment building.

Alisson Ford pushed through the revolving glass doors and stepped onto the pavement. She wore the fiery red gown, the silk fabric flowing around her legs like liquid blood. Her twelve-centimeter red-soled stilettos clicked sharply against the concrete.

She opened the heavy rear door of the SUV and slid into the leather seat.

The driver, a highly trained operative from Hilary's security team, reached back and handed her a small, sleek silver USB drive.

Alisson closed her hand around the cold metal. Inside this drive were the unredacted financial logs of the Lucas Corporation. It held enough evidence of tax fraud and corporate bribery to send Iman Lucas to a federal penitentiary for the rest of his life.

The SUV merged into the heavy Manhattan traffic. Twenty minutes later, it pulled up to the brilliantly lit grand entrance of the Waldorf Hotel.

Alisson pulled a delicate, black lace half-mask over her eyes. She stepped out of the vehicle.

Her presence was magnetic. Heads turned. The paparazzi stationed outside snapped photos, captivated by her stunning figure and cold aura, but the mask effectively concealed her true identity.

She handed the anonymous VIP invitation to the head of security at the door. He scanned it, nodded respectfully, and let her pass through the first metal detector.

At the exact same moment, deep in the hotel's underground parking garage.

A large, canvas laundry cart rolled slowly toward the service elevator.

Inside the cart, buried under a pile of pristine white hotel towels, Jovany and Janna lay perfectly still. They were both dressed in miniature, tailored hotel staff uniforms.

Jovany looked at his wrist. He wore a tactical smartwatch. The screen displayed the raw code of the hotel's elevator control system, which he had hacked an hour ago.

He tapped a sequence of commands onto the small screen.

The service elevator bypassed the keycard security protocols and shot straight up to the top floor, heading directly for the grand ballroom.

The doors slid open with a soft ding.

The two children slipped out of the laundry cart like shadows. They darted into the catering prep room located just behind the main stage, successfully avoiding the patrolling security guards.

Inside the grand ballroom, the atmosphere was suffocatingly opulent.

A classical orchestra played a sweeping waltz. The room was filled with the elite power players of Aethelburg.

Bella Lucas stood near the center of the room. She wore a custom, hand-beaded white gown that cost over a million dollars. She clung tightly to Iman Lucas's arm, her face glowing with triumphant, arrogant joy as she accepted the fake congratulations of the guests.

A few yards away stood Jake Yates.

He held a crystal glass of whiskey. His face was a mask of absolute, terrifying indifference. He radiated such a freezing, oppressive aura that a ten-foot perimeter of empty space naturally formed around him. No one dared to approach.

Alisson stood in the shadows beneath a massive crystal chandelier, holding a flute of champagne. Her cold eyes locked onto the Lucas family.

Her gaze dropped to Bella's neck.

Resting against Bella's collarbone was a heavy emerald necklace. It was the only heirloom Alisson's biological mother had left her.

The temperature in Alisson's eyes dropped to absolute zero.

Inside the prep room, Janna peeked through the crack in the double doors. She spotted Jake standing in the crowd. She gasped, excitedly tugging on Jovany's sleeve and pointing at the tall, imposing man.

Jovany nodded. He tapped his earpiece, signaling Janna to get ready. He pulled a small cable from his pocket and physically connected his smartwatch to the ballroom's central audio-visual control panel mounted on the wall.

Suddenly, the prep room door creaked open.

A small boy in a tailored suit walked in, his head down, clearly trying to escape the noise and the crowds. It was Geovanni.

The three children, bearing an impossible, striking resemblance to one another, froze. They stared at each other in the cramped, dimly lit room.

Geovanni's eyes widened in shock. He looked at the boy who was his exact mirror image, and the girl who was smiling brightly at him. His usual panic did not trigger.

Janna did not hesitate. She walked right up to Geovanni and grabbed his hand. She pulled a piece of chocolate from her pocket and pressed it into his palm.

"We are here to find our daddy," Janna whispered, pointing through the crack in the door at Jake. "Will you help us?"

Geovanni could not speak, but he looked at Janna's earnest eyes. He slowly nodded his head. He pointed a small finger at Jake, confirming the target.

Jovany immediately adjusted his tactical plan. He would use Geovanni's presence to distract the guards, giving Janna a clear path to the target.

Out in the ballroom, the master of ceremonies stepped up to the microphone on the main stage.

"Ladies and gentlemen," the MC announced, his voice echoing through the speakers. "The engagement ceremony will now begin. Please welcome the future Mr. and Mrs. Yates to the stage."

Bella's heart soared. She lifted the heavy skirt of her gown, preparing to walk into the spotlight and claim her ultimate victory.

In the shadows, Alisson set her champagne glass down. Her fingers traced the edge of the silver USB drive in her clutch. She began to walk toward the AV control room to swap the presentation video.

At that exact second, the double doors of the prep room burst open.

Geovanni ran out, holding Janna's hand tightly. They sprinted directly into the center aisle of the ballroom before any of the security guards could react.

The sudden intrusion of the children drew the eyes of every single person in the room. The elegant chatter died instantly. A heavy, shocked silence fell over the ballroom.

Janna let go of Geovanni's hand.

Like a tiny pink cannonball, she sprinted straight toward the stage, heading directly for the cold, untouchable billionaire, Jake Yates.