Chapter 1 - THE TOXIC EMBRACE
The sound of shattering crystal echoed through the high-ceilinged grand ballroom like a volley of gunshots. Liquid poured over the polished marble floor, sparkling cider mixing with drops of crimson blood from Lily’s lacerated palms.
Alex stood paralyzed. His heart hammered against his ribs as he stared from the pool of poisoned liquid on the floor up to Lily’s bruised, desperate face. The smartphone in her trembling hand continued to loop the seven-second video clip: a high-definition angle showing a gloved hand sliding a small glass vial from a tuxedo jacket and emptying its contents into Alex’s designated crystal flute just three minutes before the toast.
"Who… who gave you this footage?" Alex’s voice was barely a whisper, yet it cut through the stunned silence of the room.
"I... I was checking the service corridor monitors," Lily sobbed, pressing a cloth to her bleeding wrist. "I saw them tamper with the main cart. Mr. Alex, I didn't mean to make a scene, but if you took one sip..."
Before Alex could move toward her, Clara lunged forward. Her silk designer gown swished aggressively as she snatched Lily’s phone, staring at the screen with frantic eyes.
"This is ridiculous!" Clara shrieked, her voice pitching dangerously high. "She’s a disgruntled employee! A nobody trying to ruin our big night! Alex, look at her—she probably staged this entire video with AI just to get a payout or draw attention to herself! Security! Throw this hysterical girl out into the street!"
Two heavy-set security guards immediately stepped forward, reaching for Lily's arms.
"Don't touch her!" Alex roared, his command echoing off the gilded walls. The sheer power in his voice made the guards freeze in place. Clara stumbled back, looking at her fiancé in utter disbelief.
Alex walked slowly toward Lily. Ignoring the jagged shards of glass soaking into his bespoke leather shoes, he knelt down beside the injured server. He pulled the silk handkerchief from his breast pocket and gently wrapped it around her bleeding hand.
"Are you okay?" Alex asked softly, his eyes locking onto hers.
Lily nodded weakly, tears spilling down her pale cheeks. "The security mainframe... someone tried to wipe the server room right after I downloaded that clip. They know I saw them, Mr. Alex. You aren't safe here. Neither of us is."
Alex lifted his eyes to sweep the crowd. Two hundred of the city's most powerful elites—politicians, CEOs, high-society heiresses, and board members—were staring back at him. Somewhere in this room of smiling faces sat a cold-blooded killer who had just tried to end his life in front of the entire world.
Then, Alex caught sight of Clara’s father, Senator Richard Vance. The older man was standing near the rear exits, quietly slipping his phone into his coat pocket with a look of suppressed fury.
Alex stood up, his posture cold and rigid. He reached into his coat, pulled out his personal phone, and dialed his head of private security.
"Lock down the estate," Alex ordered into the receiver. "No one leaves. Not the guests, not the staff, and especially not the family."
Clara grabbed Alex’s arm, her fingernails digging deep into his sleeve. "Alex! You're going mad! You're locking up high-profile guests over a maid's conspiracy theory? What about our announcement? What about our marriage?"
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Alex slowly peeled her fingers off his arm and looked directly into Clara's wide, panic-stricken eyes.
"Our marriage can wait, Clara," Alex said coldly. "Because right now, I need to find out why my bride's signature perfume is lingering on the gloves of the person in that video."
