Chapter 13 - The Mayor’s GalaThe annual Mayor’s Charity Gala was the most exclusive event of the season, held inside the glittering grand ballroom of the municipal civic center.
Crystal chandeliers cast a brilliant, blinding light over politicians, corporate CEOs, and high-society elites sipping champagne in designer tuxedos and glittering gowns. At the center of it all stood Mayor Harrison Vance, shaking hands, flashing a charismatic smile for the cameras, and basking in the adoration of the city's upper crust.
Then, the heavy oak doors at the back of the ballroom slowly swung open.
The murmur of conversation died instantly.
Every head turned toward the entrance. Walking through the doors wasn't the broken recluse the city had whispered about for nearly a decade. It was the Harbor King.
I wore a tailored midnight-blue tuxedo, my posture completely upright, leaning lightly on my obsidian cane. Markus flanked my left side, while two federal marshals—whom I had quietly enlisted using the recovered evidence of municipal corruption—walked step-for-step behind me.
Mayor Harrison froze mid-sentence, his glass of champagne hovering halfway to his mouth. The color drained from his face as he stared at me, his eyes widening in sheer, unadulterated terror.
“C-Caleb...” Harrison stammered, stepping back from the podium as I walked down the center aisle. “I... I didn't realize you were well enough to attend.”
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I stopped ten feet away from him, my gaze piercing straight through his expensive suit.
“Miracles happen, Harrison,” I said smoothly, my voice carrying clearly across the silent ballroom. “Sometimes, all it takes is the right person to remind you of who you really are.”
