Chapter 2 - The Stolen Spotlight
I stared at the tablet in absolute disbelief.
"How could they possibly bypass the security protocols?" I asked, my voice trembling with rising panic.
Dean Bradley adjusted his glasses, his face pale under the harsh fluorescent lights of the dressing room.
"The VIP ticket has an NFC chip designed to grant the bearer administrative access to the auditorium's network."
My father had snatched that ticket directly from my hands in the kitchen.
He was a failing businessman drowning in debt, and he must have recognized the digital encryption on the card.
"He used the ticket to hack the transfer portal," I realized, the betrayal cutting deeper than I ever thought possible.
"The ceremony starts in exactly two minutes," the Dean warned, checking his gold pocket watch.
"If we don't stop the transfer before the final announcement, the funds will be irrevocably wired out of the country."
I grabbed my valedictorian cap and marched out of the room with the Dean trailing close behind.
We hurried through the backstage corridors, the roar of the crowd growing louder with every step.
I peeked through the heavy velvet curtains separating the backstage area from the main stage.
The auditorium was packed with thousands of graduates, wealthy donors, and influential medical professionals.
In the very front row, my father was typing furiously on his laptop, completely ignoring the commencement proceedings.
My stepmother was fixing Haley's hair, treating the graduation like her daughter's personal beauty pageant.
The lights suddenly dimmed, and a booming voice echoed over the state-of-the-art sound system.
"Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome our University President, Dr. Aris Thorne!"
The crowd erupted into applause as the President walked up to the podium.
"Today, we are not just handing out degrees," President Thorne began, his voice echoing with pride.
"We are awarding the largest independent medical grant in history to a student whose cancer research will change the world."
My father suddenly slammed his laptop shut, a wicked, triumphant smirk spreading across his face.
"Will the recipient of the Vanguard Medical Grant please come forward to accept their check?" the President called out.
I took a deep breath and prepared to step through the curtain.
But before my foot could even touch the stage, a loud squeal of excitement pierced the air.
Haley leaped out of her VIP seat, waving her arms and blowing kisses to the confused crowd.
"Thank you!" she screamed, hiking up her designer dress as she sprinted up the stage stairs.
My stepmother stood up and started clapping aggressively, glaring at anyone who wasn't cheering for her daughter.
President Thorne stepped back from the microphone, looking utterly bewildered as Haley approached him.
"Excuse me, young lady, you are not authorized to be up here," the President whispered firmly.
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Haley snatched the microphone right out of his hands and smiled at the flashing cameras.
"I know my name isn't on the program, but as the legal proxy for the winner, I am here to collect the ten million dollars."
