Chapter 6 - The Unraveling Realm
Victoria stood frozen as two tall, suit-clad security guards stepped up on either side of her.
"Arthur! You can't do this to me!" Victoria screamed, her voice cracking as her regal composure vanished entirely. "I made this foundation! I made you!"
The guests watched in utter silence as the chairwoman of the Sterling Foundation was marched across the grand ballroom floor—her golden sequined dress rustling loudly against the oak, her face flushed red with uncontainable shame.
The heavy oak doors of the ballroom slammed shut behind her.
Inside the room, the atmosphere was forever altered.
Claire held Lily close, gently pressing a clean ice pack to her cheek.
"How did the video get onto the main screen, Lily?" Claire asked softly, her voice still shaking from the confrontation.
Lily looked up at her mother, her brown curls messy, her eyes clear.
She pulled out the silver antique key her mother had given her earlier that day.
"It wasn't just a key, Mommy," Lily whispered. "It's a drive. Mr. Marcus in the IT control room showed me yesterday how the local network works when I was waiting for you."
Claire stared at her daughter in absolute shock.
Lily had noticed the security camera mounted above the dessert table an hour ago. When Victoria struck her, Lily didn't cry because she knew the system was recording every single second. She had simply texted Marcus in the control booth: Run the last clip on screen 1 now.
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She hadn't just survived the strike.
She had executed a flawless retaliation.
