Chapter 4: The House of Cards
The ballroom became a scene of absolute chaos. Donors were desperately checking their phones, their connections to Evelyn suddenly turning into radioactive assets. The "Elegant Evelyn" was stripped of her poise. She lunged toward the stage to grab the data drive, but Halloway’s aides were already there, encircling her like a wall of stone.
"The wine wasn't an accident," Evelyn hissed, her voice now a frantic, high-pitched scream. "I was trying to hide the stain! The stain of her lineage! She’s not an orphan—she’s the daughter of the whistleblower who disappeared last year!"
The room went deathly silent. The revelation was heavier than the embezzlement. Evelyn hadn't just stolen money; she had actively erased a family, treating the daughter as a ward to ensure she could be silenced at any moment.
