Chapter 2: The Ballroom of Fools
Inside the ballroom, the champagne flowed like water. Mark felt like a titan. With the merger secured and Amelia out of the way, he was now the sole controller of the Holloway empire. He walked toward the podium, the ballroom falling silent as he prepared to announce the new era of Sterling-Holloway.
“Tonight,” Mark declared, his voice booming through the sound system, “we celebrate a new beginning. A foundation built on strength, trust, and the vision of a future unburdened by… past baggage.”
The crowd erupted in applause. Chloe, wearing a dress that had clearly been stolen from Amelia’s personal collection, beamed at him. They were the king and queen of a city they believed they had successfully conned.
Then, the music stopped.
The heavy, gilded doors at the back of the ballroom didn't just open; they swung wide with a force that rattled the chandeliers. The security guards who had been positioned to keep Amelia out were nowhere to be found.
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In walked Amelia.
She was not wearing a wedding dress. She was wearing a structured, midnight-blue power suit that looked like armor. Her hair was pulled back, her eyes sharp and focused. Beside her walked a man in an understated gray suit—the Chief Auditor for the Federal Financial Commission.
