Chapter 4 - The Gala Ambush
Three months later, Ethan hosted the annual Carter Energy Charity Gala at the Winspear Opera House in downtown Dallas.
Ethan personally requested that I attend as his guest of honor, presenting me with an exquisite, bespoke sapphire-silk evening gown that complemented my dark skin and braided crown.
When Ethan walked down the grand staircase of the venue with his arm gently resting around my waist, the entire high-society crowd fell into a stunned, murmuring hush.
Victoria Sterling stood near the champagne fountain, her face flushed with venomous jealousy.
During the keynote address, Victoria took the microphone under the guise of an executive toast.
"We all admire Ethan's philanthropy," Victoria announced smoothly, projecting a series of fabricated financial documents onto the grand projector screens. "However, donors should be aware that eighty thousand dollars of charity funds were diverted last month to clear the fraudulent medical debts of his domestic employee."
A collective, horrified gasp rippled through the five hundred elite guests.
Reporters raised their cameras, flashes exploding across the ballroom.
Ethan’s posture turned to solid granite. He stepped forward to take the podium, but I gently placed my hand on his forearm, meeting his fiery gray eyes with steady resolve.
"Let me, Ethan," I whispered.
I stepped up to the microphone, radiating calm elegance.
"The invoice shown on that screen was paid directly from my private earnings as an executive educational director," I spoke with clear, commanding resonance. "Furthermore, the corporate forensic audit completed yesterday by Vance Legal confirms that Miss Sterling diverted two point four million dollars from the Carter Foundation into her private offshore accounts in Belize."
On the massive screens behind me, the slide changed—displaying unredacted banking wire logs, forged authorizations, and federal audit seals bearing Victoria Sterling’s signature.
Victoria’s glass slipped from her hand, shattering across the stage.
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Federal marshals stepped out from the wings, placing Victoria under immediate arrest for grand embezzlement and corporate fraud.
The ballroom erupted into thunderous, standing applause as Ethan looked at me with breathtaking, boundless pride.
