Chapter 7 - THE GALA CRASHERS
Victoria’s strategy relied on maintaining her image. To prove to the judge that she was a stable, upstanding citizen, she hosted a massive, million-dollar charity gala at the Drake Hotel, inviting the mayor, judges, and every major news outlet in Chicago. She intended to use the event to publicly declare herself a devoted mother fighting to "rescue" her son.
She didn't expect Julian and Clara to be on the guest list.
Julian wore a custom Tom Ford tuxedo. Clara, radiant and fierce, wore an emerald green gown that Julian had bought for her. They walked into the grand ballroom, instantly silencing the string quartet and drawing the flashes of fifty cameras.
Victoria, holding a champagne flute, turned white. "Security! Remove them immediately!"
Julian grabbed a microphone from the podium before the guards could react. "Good evening, Chicago," his voice boomed over the speakers. "My ex-wife is throwing a lovely party tonight to raise money for underprivileged children. Which is ironic, considering she just spent half a million dollars trying to destroy a woman who literally gave birth in poverty."
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The crowd gasped. The cameras rolled.
Clara stepped forward, handing a stack of printed documents to the front row of reporters. "These are the bank records Victoria submitted to family court today. They claim she has zero assets and needs emergency child support. But if you turn to page three, you'll see the offshore accounts she hid from the IRS. She's committing perjury, right here, right now."
