Chapter 3 - The Confession in the Grand HallThe ballroom had emptied of guests within ten minutes, cleared out by Dominic's silent, menacing security detail who ushered Manhattan's elite out into the cold night air without a word of explanation. Only the core circle remained: Dominic, Margaret, a trembling Vivienne, her pale-faced accomplice from the rival firm who had tried to slip out the side doors, and Ella Marsh standing in the center of the marble floor.
"Speak," Dominic ordered, his eyes never leaving Ella.
Ella looked at Margaret, whose encouraging nod gave her the strength she needed. She took a deep breath, letting go of the fear that had caged her for days.
"I was cleaning behind the bookshelves in the reading room three days ago," Ella began, her voice clear and steady, echoing off the high vaulted ceilings. "The connecting door to the study was open a crack. I heard... everything."
Vivienne lunged forward like a striking viper. "Liar! She's a thief! She's trying to sabotage our wedding because she was jealous of my position!"
"Silence," Dominic murmured, lifting a single finger. Two massive security guards immediately pinned Vivienne’s arms to her sides, muffling her desperate shrieks.
"Go on, Ella," Dominic urged gently.
"She was talking to a man with a gravelly voice," Ella continued, her eyes fixed on Vivienne's terrified, pale face. "She was giving away classified security layouts of your logistics network, Mr. Vance. She detailed the exact timeline of the hostile takeover your rival corporation is planning for next month after the merger. And... and she laughed about getting rid of your mother."
A collective gasp sucked the air out of the room. Margaret pressed a hand to her chest, while Dominic's eyes narrowed into slits of pure, incandescent malice.
"She said Margaret was the only one smart enough to see through her mask," Ella finished softly, dropping her gaze to the floor. "She planned to eliminate her after the wedding."
Dominic turned slowly toward Vivienne. The air around him felt several degrees colder, heavy with the terrifying weight of a predator whose family had been threatened.
May you like
"Is this true, Vivienne?" Dominic asked, his voice dangerously soft. "Is my empire, and my mother's life, just a stepping stone for you and the Sterling Group?"
Vivienne stopped struggling. Her eyes darted wildly around the room, searching for an escape route that no longer existed. Realizing the game was over, her mask of sweet innocence shattered completely, replaced by a feral, ugly grin.
