Chapter 8 - Shadows at the Grand Hotel
With Keith’s confession secured, Adrian decided it was time to draw Gideon Vale out into the open. We staged a high-profile corporate gala at the Voss Grand Hotel, inviting local politicians, high-society investors, and the entire executive board under the guise of celebrating our annual hospitality expansion. I wore an elegant, deep-emerald evening gown provided by Adrian—a far cry from my smoke-stained chef's coat, though the transformation only fueled my inner resolve.
Gideon attended the gala with an edgy, desperate energy, drinking heavily at the open bar and glaring across the grand ballroom whenever our eyes met. Midway through the evening, Adrian took the stage, commanding the microphone with his customary effortless authority to announce the upcoming redevelopment projects across the province—including the full, state-of-the-art rebuilding of Marigold.
Gideon’s face turned pale green. He realized instantly that his entire conspiracy had failed, that Marigold was rising from the ashes, and that his embezzlement empire was about to be exposed to Edmonton’s elite. He slipped away from the ballroom toward the private executive elevators, believing he could access his office safe, grab his emergency bearer bonds, and flee the country before dawn.
