Chapter 9 - The Gala
Two hours later, I stood in front of the massive, gold-gilded mirrors of the downtown grand hotel.
I was wearing a breathtaking, deep emerald evening gown that hugged every single curve of my body perfectly.
My hair was professionally styled, and a delicate diamond necklace rested smoothly against my collarbone.
For the very first time in my entire adult life, I did not feel like the invisible, unwanted daughter hiding in a storage closet.
I felt like an absolute weapon.
Dominic stood right behind me, wearing a flawless black tuxedo that made him look incredibly dangerous.
He gently placed his hands on my bare shoulders, his warm touch sending a violent shiver directly down my spine.
"You look absolutely devastating, Claire," he whispered smoothly into my ear.
"Let's go ruin my sister's life," I replied, my voice completely steady and resolved.
We walked confidently out of the private suite and descended the grand marble staircase toward the main ballroom.
The annual maritime shipping gala was the most exclusive, highly publicized event of the entire year.
It was the exact event my father had strictly forbidden me from attending because of my weight.
As Dominic and I entered the massive, crystal-lit ballroom, every single head in the room turned to look at us.
The whispers started immediately, spreading rapidly through the crowd of wealthy elites like a sudden wildfire.
I scanned the room and instantly spotted Madison standing near the massive champagne fountain.
She was wearing a sparkling silver dress, smiling brightly and laughing with a group of powerful international investors.
When Madison finally noticed me walking toward her with Dominic Vale on my arm, her perfect smile completely vanished.
She looked absolutely terrified.
I walked directly up to her, holding my head incredibly high.
"Hello, Madison," I said smoothly, my voice carrying clearly over the soft classical music.
"Claire?" she stammered, completely unable to hide her profound shock.
"What are you doing here?"
"I came to personally stop you from handing my company over to the Russian cartel," I stated clearly.
Several investors standing nearby gasped loudly and immediately stepped away from us.
Madison's face turned a violent, ugly shade of red.
"You are completely insane," Madison hissed, trying desperately to keep her voice down.
"Security is going to throw you out right now."
Before the hotel security could even move, the main doors of the ballroom burst violently open.
A massive team of heavily armed FBI agents swarmed directly into the room, their badges flashing brightly under the chandelier lights.
The lead agent walked with absolute authority straight toward our group.
I smiled, completely ready to hand over the digital evidence of Madison's massive financial crimes.
But the FBI agent did not look at Madison.
He looked directly at me.
"Claire Whitmore, you are officially under arrest for international weapons smuggling and the massive embezzlement of ten million dollars," the agent announced loudly.
He aggressively grabbed my arms and violently slammed cold steel handcuffs tightly around my wrists.
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I looked at Madison, who was suddenly smiling a triumphant, incredibly evil smile.
She had tipped off the federal government and perfectly framed me for everything before I could even expose her.
