Chapter 3 - The Conspiracy UnmaskedWhile the guests clinked their champagne flutes and praised the upcoming union, the political undercurrents of the room were surging with quiet panic.
Celeste’s older brother, Julian Arden, stood near the VIP bar talking in hushed, urgent tones with Minister Sterling, the head of the national mining board.
“Is the paperwork finalized?” Julian muttered, gripping his whiskey glass tightly. “If Adrian signs the concession deeds tonight during the engagement toast, Vale Mining will officially transfer fifty percent equity to our foreign syndicate.”
Minister Sterling glanced nervously toward the dais. “It’s finalized, Julian. But are you sure the prince won't raise objections? Word is his legal advisors have been poking around the land registries.”
“What objections could a cripple in a wheelchair raise?” Julian sneered, taking a deep swallow of scotch. “My sister has completely manipulated him. He thinks she loves him. By tomorrow morning, the royal assets will be legally partitioned, and Adrian will be nothing more than a royal pensioner locked away in the east wing.”
What Julian didn't know—what none of them knew—was that every single word of their conversation had been transmitted in real-time through a secure micro-bug pinned inside Mara Ellis’s lapel, feeding directly into the central intelligence server managed by the king’s loyal attorney, General Vance.
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In the security control room beneath the ballroom, General Vance stared at the audio waveforms scrolling across the monitor, a grim smile touching his lips.
“They walked right into the lion’s den,” Vance murmured into his headset. “Prepare the broadcast feed.”
