“WHAT DO YOU MEAN MY MOTHER WON'T SURVIVE THE NIGHT?” Alexander Vance's voice echoed through the corridor.
Victoria Sterling immediately stepped backward.
For one terrible second, she looked like a woman who had accidentally confessed to something far worse than cruelty.
Then she forced a nervous laugh.
“Alexander, darling, you're misunderstanding me. I only meant the stress could make her sick.”
But Alexander wasn't looking at her anymore.
He was looking at his mother.
Evelyn's trembling left hand was reaching toward the emergency button attached to her wheelchair.
Her face had turned unusually pale.
“Mother?”
Maria immediately knelt beside her.
“Mrs. Vance, can you hear me?”
Evelyn nodded weakly.
Her breathing had become shallow, and beads of perspiration appeared across her forehead.
Maria looked up.
“She needs a doctor. Now!”
Alexander turned to face Marcus.
“Call the medical team. Clear this corridor.”
Within seconds, security officers began moving the curious guests away.
Victoria attempted to follow Alexander toward Evelyn, but Marcus blocked her path.
“Please remain here, Miss Sterling.”
Victoria glared at him.
“Do you know who you're speaking to?”
Marcus didn't move.
“Yes, ma'am.”
The answer only made her angrier.
Across the ballroom, the enormous screens began displaying the surveillance recording.
Three hundred guests watched Victoria approach Evelyn's wheelchair.
They heard her insults.
They saw the spilled water.
They watched Victoria raise her hand.
And they saw Maria step forward.
SLAP!
The sound echoed through the ballroom's speakers.
Gasps erupted.
An elderly businessman lowered his champagne glass.
“My God,” he said softly. “She was going to strike Evelyn.”
A woman near the staircase shook her head.
“And she blamed the maid?”
Victoria's carefully constructed image began collapsing in real time.
But Alexander barely noticed.
He remained beside his mother as the estate's medical team arrived.
Dr. Daniel Harris, Evelyn's private physician, checked her pulse and blood pressure.
“She's experiencing an acute stress response,” he said. “We need to move her somewhere quiet and monitor her closely.”
Alexander nodded.
“Do whatever is necessary.”
As the medical team prepared to move Evelyn, she grabbed Maria's hand.
Her grip was surprisingly strong.
“Stay,” she said softly.
Maria looked toward Alexander.
He nodded immediately.
“Go with her.”
Maria followed the wheelchair into the private medical wing.
For the first time since the confrontation began, she allowed herself to feel frightened.
Her job was almost certainly gone.
Victoria had threatened her future.
And Alexander's family appeared to be hiding something dangerous.
Inside the medical suite, Evelyn slowly relaxed as the physician adjusted her care.
Maria sat beside the bed.
“You're safe now,” she said softly.
Evelyn looked at her with tear-filled eyes.
Then she reached beneath her blanket and pulled out a folded piece of paper.
Maria frowned.
“What is this?”
Evelyn struggled to speak.
“Don't… trust… Victoria.”
Maria gently took the paper.
On it was a handwritten telephone number.
Beneath the number were three words.
THE BLUE ACCOUNT.
Maria stared.
“What does that mean?”
Evelyn closed her eyes.
Before Maria could ask another question, Alexander entered the room.
He looked exhausted.
But his expression softened when he saw his mother resting.
“She's stable,” Dr. Harris assured him. “We'll continue monitoring her.”
Alexander thanked him.
Then he turned to face Maria.
“I owe you an apology.”
Maria blinked.
“For what?”
“For allowing someone like Victoria into this house.”
Maria lowered her eyes.
“Sir, I didn't do anything special.”
“You defended my mother when three hundred guests chose to remain silent.”
He paused.
“And I heard what Victoria said about your job.”
Maria's stomach tightened.
“Please, Mr. Vance. I need this position. My sister is sick, and I—”
“You're not being fired.”
Maria stared at him.
“What?”
“Your employment is secure. And nobody will retaliate against you for protecting my mother.”
Tears immediately filled her eyes.
“Thank you.”
Alexander looked at the paper in her hand.
“What's that?”
Maria hesitated.
“Your mother gave it to me.”
Alexander read the words.
His expression changed.
“The blue account?”
Evelyn suddenly opened her eyes.
“No,” she said softly.
Alexander turned.
“Mother?”
She shook her head desperately.
“Not… here.”
Alexander slowly folded the paper.
“Alright.”
He looked toward the doorway.
“Marcus, secure this room. Nobody enters without authorization.”
Then he turned back toward Maria.
“Can you stay with her for a little while?”
Maria nodded.
“Of course.”
Alexander left to deal with Victoria.
In the ballroom, the guests had stopped pretending not to know what happened.
Several were already leaving.
Others watched Victoria with open disgust.
She stood beside the grand staircase, clutching her evening bag.
Alexander approached.
“The engagement is over.”
Victoria stared at him.
“You can't be serious.”
“I am.”
“Our families have agreements!”
“Those agreements are being reviewed by my attorneys.”
Victoria's expression twisted.
“You're throwing away our future because of a servant?”
“No,” Alexander replied. “Because of who you chose to become when you thought nobody important was watching.”
Victoria stepped closer.
“You'll regret humiliating me.”
Alexander held out his hand.
“The ring.”
She lowered her gaze at the enormous diamond engagement ring.
“You can't take this from me.”
“It belongs to my family.”
After a long silence, Victoria removed it.
She dropped it into his palm.
Then she leaned close enough that only he could hear.
“You think your mother is innocent?”
Alexander's eyes narrowed.
“What are you talking about?”
Victoria smiled bitterly.
“Ask her what happened to your father.”
Alexander froze.
His father, Thomas Vance, had died twenty-two years earlier.
The subject had always been painful.
Victoria watched his reaction with satisfaction.
“Your family has secrets, Alexander. And some of them are worth more than your entire company.”
Alexander stepped backward.
“Marcus. Escort her out.”
Two security officers approached.
Victoria allowed them to guide her toward the exit.
But before leaving, she looked over her shoulder.
“YOU SHOULD HAVE MARRIED ME WHILE YOU STILL HAD THE CHANCE.”
The doors closed.
Alexander stood alone beneath the chandelier.
For several moments, he looked straight at the diamond ring in his hand.
Then his phone vibrated.
An unknown number.
He answered.
“Alexander Vance.”
A man's voice spoke.
“Your fiancée failed.”
Alexander's expression hardened.
“Who is this?”
“Someone who knows what Evelyn hid.”
Alexander turned to face the medical wing.
“What do you want?”
“The blue account.”
His blood ran cold.
“Who are you?”
The man laughed softly.
“Ask your mother about the night Thomas Vance died.”
Then the line disconnected.
Alexander immediately called Marcus.
“Trace that number.”
“Yes, sir.”
“And increase security around my mother.”
Marcus hesitated.
“Sir, there's something else.”
Alexander frowned.
“What?”
“The estate's internal cameras recorded someone entering the private medical corridor fifteen minutes before the gala.”
“Who?”
Marcus swallowed.
“Victoria Sterling.”
Alexander's jaw tightened.
“She had access to the corridor.”
“Yes, sir. But that's not the problem.”
Marcus displayed a second recording.
Victoria was standing beside a man wearing a dark maintenance uniform.
She handed him a small black case.
The man accepted it.
Then he walked toward Evelyn's medical wing.
Alexander stared at the screen.
“Who is he?”
Marcus enlarged the image.
The man's face became visible.
Alexander stopped breathing.
Because he recognized him.
“THAT MAN WORKS FOR MY MOTHER'S PRIVATE MEDICAL TEAM.”
TO BE CONTINUED…
