Chapter 6 - The Vanguard Gala
The next morning, Maya acted perfectly normal. She forced Clara to pretend to be groggy. When Eleanor came to inspect the West Wing, peering through the glass observation window, Maya was dutifully reading a textbook to a seemingly sedated Clara.
Eleanor smiled—a cold, terrifying slash of red lipstick—and walked away.
That weekend, the Vanguards were hosting their annual Silicon Valley charity gala. Hundreds of tech elites, politicians, and celebrities flooded the estate. The security was temporarily focused outward, managing the paparazzi and the guests.
It was their only chance.
Maya met Liam by the hedges during the caterers' chaotic load-in.
"I need your help," Maya whispered rapidly, glancing over her shoulder. "The girl isn't Seraphina. It's her twin, Clara. Arthur killed the real one. Liam, we have to get her out tonight."
Liam’s eyes widened, but he didn't look surprised. He looked grimly vindicated. "I knew it was something sick. Sarah was close to it. Listen to me, Maya. You can't just run. Arthur owns the local police chief. If you run, he'll track you down and claim you kidnapped his mentally ill daughter. You need proof."
"Clara said the proof is on Arthur's private server in his master study. The real medical records, the cover-up plans," Maya said.
"The study is biometric. Fingerprint scanner," Liam said, shaking his head. "We can't get in."
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"I can," Maya said, her mind racing. "Arthur is giving a keynote speech at 10:00 PM. He'll be distracted. I have a background in IT. If I can lift his fingerprint from a champagne glass, I can bypass the optical scanner using a silicone mold kit I saw in Clara's art supplies."
Liam stared at her, impressed. "Okay. Get the drive. I'll get the grounds security cameras on a loop and bring my truck around to the West Wing exit. If we pull this off, we drive straight to the FBI field office in San Francisco."
