Chapter 7 - The Grand Ballroom
The freight elevator felt agonizingly slow as it carried Charlotte up to the main gala level.
She clutched the master deed tightly, knowing this piece of paper was her only weapon left.
The elevator doors finally slid open, revealing the grand hallway that led directly to the ballroom.
Charlotte stepped out, immediately hiding behind a massive marble pillar to assess the situation.
A solid wall of heavily armed private security guards blocked the massive double doors of the ballroom.
There was absolutely no way she could fight through ten trained men to get inside.
She remembered the sleek black keycard Marcus had given her in the basement.
Her mother had designed this hotel, and the master keycard controlled every single system in the building.
Charlotte scanned the wall and spotted the central electrical junction box hidden behind a decorative plant.
She rushed over, swiped the master keycard, and accessed the primary lighting controls.
She did not hesitate for a second before pulling the heavy main breaker switch entirely downward.
Every single light in the grand ballroom and the surrounding hallways instantly completely died.
The sudden, absolute darkness was immediately followed by the panicked screams of the wealthy guests.
The security guards shouted in confusion, clicking on their tactical flashlights to sweep the dark hallway.
Charlotte used the utter chaos to slip quietly past the distracted guards and into the pitch-black ballroom.
She navigated purely by memory, weaving through the terrified crowd of reporters and socialites.
She needed to get to the main stage before the emergency backup generators kicked in.
The ambient glow of cell phone screens cast eerie, moving shadows across the massive room.
Charlotte finally reached the edge of the velvet-lined stage just as a loud mechanical hum vibrated through the floor.
The emergency backup lights flooded the ballroom with a harsh, bright white glare.
Charlotte stood up, ready to present the master deed to the shocked crowd of journalists.
But the words completely died in her throat when she looked at the center of the stage.
Richard was not sitting at the signing desk holding a pen.
Instead, Richard was standing confidently holding a silver pistol aimed directly at Marcus’s head.
Marcus was bound and bleeding on his knees, but his eyes remained fiercely defiant.
Richard smiled warmly at the crowd, completely ignoring the fact that he was holding a man hostage.
"Ladies and gentlemen, please remain calm, we have simply caught a dangerous terrorist," Richard announced smoothly.
He looked directly into the crowd, his eyes locking instantly onto Charlotte’s bruised face.
"And it appears his female accomplice has just joined us," Richard declared, pointing right at her.
May you like
"Security, arrest that filthy woman before she harms anyone else."
Every single camera in the room suddenly turned to face Charlotte.
