Chapter 5 - Day 90: The Party of the YearDay ninety arrived under a brilliant, cloudless California sky.
By 2:00 PM, the Bel Air estate was overflowing with over two hundred elite guests—billionaire investors, corporate board members, Hollywood celebrities, and high-society journalists.
A four-piece string quartet played classical music near the infinity pool, while waiters in crisp white uniforms served caviar and poured endless flutes of vintage champagne.
In the center of the main terrace, Richard stood at a polished podium, wearing an Italian tailored tuxedo. Beside him stood Sienna, wearing an open emerald-green silk gown that proudly displayed her round belly, wearing a ten-carat diamond necklace Richard had stolen from my private safe.
Richard raised his champagne glass, tapping a silver spoon against the crystal to catch the crowd's attention.
The music faded. The chatter died down. Two hundred influential eyes turned toward the stage.
“Ladies and gentlemen, valued board members, and dear friends,” Richard began, his voice booming effortlessly through the speaker system, perfectly practicing a look of somber grief mixed with heroic resilience.
“As many of you know,” Richard continued, wiping a fake tear from the corner of his eye, “my beloved wife, Victoria, has been battling a tragic, aggressive illness in private. Today... on this ninety-day mark... her long journey has finally come to its peaceful end.”
A collective, sympathetic murmur swept through the crowd. Several board members bowed their heads.
“Victoria was a remarkable woman,” Richard boomed, growing more energized as he reached the climax of his speech. “She gave everything to Sterling Enterprises. And in her final moments, her greatest wish was for me to step forward, assume sole ownership of the empire, and build a brighter future for our family!”
Sienna beamed beside him, raising her glass in a triumphant toast.
“So today,” Richard shouted, popping the cork off a massive bottle of vintage champagne, “we do not drown in sorrow! We celebrate the rebirth of Sterling Enterprises under my absolute command! To the future!”
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“To the future!” Sienna cheered loudly.
“I wouldn't pop that cork just yet, Richard,” a crystal-clear, commanding voice echoed from the top of the grand marble staircase.
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