Chapter 17 - When the Lights Went Out
The Bellwether ballroom glowed beneath crystal chandeliers. White roses lined the tables, a string quartet played near the stage, and hundreds of guests arrived for the Harbor House gala. Elena stood near the entrance in a simple midnight-blue dress, greeting shelter workers and donors by name. She had decided not to hide from the people whose trust had been damaged.
Victoria moved through the room in a silver gown, smiling for photographs. Grant Sloane stood beside her, speaking quietly to board members. Every few minutes, Victoria glanced toward the control booth.
The video showed Elena entering her father's office, opening drawers, and removing a folder. The footage had been edited to make it appear that she had stolen confidential documents. A second clip showed her arguing with a security guard. The sound had been altered so that her voice seemed threatening.
Victoria stepped onto the stage. “I'm sorry you have to see this,” she said into the microphone. “I tried to protect this hotel. I tried to protect all of you.”
Elena felt the old instinct to retreat. She could walk away, let Claire handle the lawyers, and wait for the court to sort it out. But then she saw Rachel Monroe standing beside a table of shelter volunteers. Rachel's face was pale, yet she did not move.
“Play the full recording,” she called.
Victoria laughed without humor. “There is no full recording.” He had spent the afternoon restoring the original files from the mirrored server. Owen stood beside him, guarding the equipment. Jamie pressed a key.
The screen went black, then returned to show Victoria entering the office with Paul Mercer. She opened the safe, removed a stack of documents, and turned toward the camera. Jamie stared at it. “Someone is cutting the feed.”
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From the back of the ballroom, Victoria lifted her phone and smiled.
“You should have stayed out of my hotel,” she whispered.
