Chapter 1 - The Charity Auction
The screen on Luke's tablet glowed in the dim light of my bedroom.
I watched the live stream as the auctioneer stepped up to the crystal podium.
Brenda smiled brightly, sipping champagne while clinging to Christopher's arm.
The crowd of three hundred elite guests applauded as the first item was announced.
It was a vintage diamond necklace donated by the Grand Horizon Group.
Christopher raised his paddle with a confident smirk.
He bid one hundred thousand dollars without blinking an eye.
Brenda leaned in and kissed his cheek, playing the perfect loving wife.
My stomach turned at the sight of her wearing my grandmother's gold bracelet.
Suddenly, the main projector screen behind the auctioneer flickered and went entirely black.
A collective murmur of confusion rippled through the luxurious ballroom.
The hotel technicians scrambled frantically near the soundboard to fix the technical glitch.
Then, the massive screen lit up again, but it was not showing the charity logo.
It displayed a high-definition photograph of Brenda from three years ago.
She was wearing a cheap uniform, standing in a dingy apartment, holding a forged bank statement.
The auctioneer froze, unsure of how to proceed as the guests began whispering loudly.
Christopher's face drained of color as he signaled his security team to cut the power.
But before the guards could reach the control room, a new document appeared on the screen.
It was a secret offshore transfer wire for three million dollars.
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The signature at the bottom did not belong to Brenda.
It was Christopher's distinct handwriting, authorizing a payment to a known criminal syndicate.
