Chapter 18 - The Truth in the Ballroom
The ballroom fell into chaos. Guests stood, chairs scraped across the floor, and the quartet stopped playing. Victoria took the microphone again.
“That footage is fake,” she declared. “Miss Vale has hacked our systems and frightened our staff. This is exactly why I asked the board to protect the hotel.”
Elena climbed the stage steps. “You have spent two years telling people what they are allowed to see. Tonight, they are going to hear what you said when you thought nobody was listening.”
She turned to Jamie. He switched from the live feed to a local copy that could not be overridden remotely. The screen showed the service office. Victoria handed Paul Mercer an envelope marked NORTHSTAR. The audio came through the ballroom speakers.
“Move it before the auditors arrive,” Victoria said.
Paul's reply followed. “And the shelter account?”
“Make it look like a delayed transfer. Nobody checks the charity books until the gala.”
Rachel stepped forward with the shelter's bank statements. “Our families lost beds because of this. We turned women away while you used their money to buy yourself power.”
Nora followed, carrying copies of altered time sheets. She named employees whose pay had been cut and showed the dates. Owen described the disabled safety systems. Davis admitted that he had seen warning signs and failed to act. He handed Claire a signed statement and offered to cooperate with investigators.
Grant Sloane tried to leave. Two police officers waiting near the ballroom doors asked him to stay. Claire had contacted the district attorney before the gala began, and the evidence had been delivered to investigators. The officers were there to preserve records, not stage a spectacle.
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Sprinklers began to hiss in the hallway. Guests screamed as the ballroom lights flashed red. Elena ran after her, leaving the microphone on the stage.
The service stairwell door banged shut above them. Victoria was heading for the roof.
