Chapter 1: The Gala Became a Crime Scene
The final steel barrier locked into place with a deafening clang.
No one moved.
One hundred and fifty of the city's most powerful people stood trapped inside the grand ballroom.
The orchestra had stopped playing.
Champagne dripped from shattered crystal glasses onto the marble floor.
The man who had struck me only minutes earlier stared at the sealed exits.
"W-What is this?"
His voice no longer carried confidence.
Only fear.
I looked at him calmly.
"My name is Evelyn Sterling."
A murmur spread through the crowd.
Someone whispered,
"Sterling..."
Another guest turned pale.
"The Sterling family owns this estate."
I nodded.
"My grandfather designed this ballroom."
"My father added the emergency lockdown system."
"Neither of them imagined it would one day be used..."
"...to stop a criminal from escaping."
My attacker, Adrian Blackwood, laughed nervously.
"This is ridiculous."
"You can't imprison people."
"No," I answered.
"I can preserve a crime scene."
The room fell silent.
At that moment, every security monitor inside the ballroom switched on.
My father's voice echoed through hidden speakers.
"Ladies and gentlemen..."
"For your safety, please remain where you are."
"Law enforcement has been notified."
"Security footage from the last thirty minutes has been secured."
Adrian's face lost all color.
He slowly looked toward the ceiling.
The cameras.
He had forgotten about the cameras.
His lawyer immediately stepped forward.
"My client was defending himself."
I smiled faintly.
"Excellent."
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"Then the recording should support that."
No one laughed this time.
