Chapter 6 - The Award
Grace wanted to run to her mother.
Adrian convinced her to wait sixty seconds.
Only sixty.
Because Martin Vale was about to walk onto a stage with three hundred witnesses.
If he disappeared now, they might never find him again.
They watched from behind the ballroom curtain.
Martin smiled beneath the lights.
“Tonight we honor a woman whose generosity has changed thousands of lives.”
Grace felt sick.
Vanessa walked onto the stage.
Applause exploded.
The same hand that had nearly struck Eleanor now accepted a crystal award for compassion.
Vanessa smiled.
Then she saw Grace standing beside Adrian.
Her smile flickered.
Martin noticed.
His eyes moved toward Adrian.
Then Grace.
Then Eleanor.
For half a second, his face went blank.
Recognition.
Fear.
Adrian whispered to security.
“Lock the private exits.”
Martin finished his speech quickly.
Vanessa stepped toward the microphone.
“Real charity begins with seeing the invisible people around us.”
Grace almost laughed.
Vanessa continued speaking while Martin slipped behind the curtain.
Two guards moved toward him.
Martin suddenly ran.
Adrian followed.
Grace stayed with Eleanor.
Vanessa saw the chase.
She stopped speaking.
The audience murmured.
Then every screen in the ballroom went black.
A moment later, security footage appeared.
Vanessa raising her hand toward Eleanor.
Grace catching her wrist.
Gasps spread across the room.
Vanessa stared at the screens in horror.
“That’s edited.”
Nobody believed her.
Then another image appeared.
A scanned ledger.
SINCLAIR FAMILY TRUST.
MERIDIAN CONSULTING.
$4,700,000.
Vanessa screamed.
“Turn it off.”
Grace looked toward the control booth.
Nobody was inside.
Someone else was broadcasting the files.
Not Adrian.
Not Eleanor.
Vanessa abandoned the stage.
She pushed past guests and disappeared into a service hallway.
Grace followed.
“Vanessa.”
Vanessa stopped.
Slowly turned.
Her face had changed.
The arrogance remained.
But now fear sat underneath it.
“You should have kept carrying trays.”
Grace stepped closer.
“Where is my mother?”
Vanessa’s eyes narrowed.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“My father discovered your family’s money.”
“Your father was a thief.”
Grace stiffened.
“So you do know who he was.”
Vanessa realized her mistake.
Grace moved closer.
“You recognized Eleanor tonight.”
Vanessa said nothing.
“You wanted her removed.”
Silence.
“You disabled the camera.”
Vanessa smiled.
“If I had disabled it, sweetheart, there wouldn’t be footage playing upstairs.”
Grace stopped.
Vanessa leaned closer.
“You think I’m the monster in this story because you caught my wrist.”
Her voice dropped.
“You have no idea who you just protected.”
Grace frowned.
Vanessa’s smile vanished.
“Ask Eleanor why your father was running from this palace the night he died.”
Grace stared at her.
“He wasn’t running from my father.”
May you like
Vanessa whispered.
“He was running from her.”
