Chapter 1 - The Call
“Lock every exit. Now.”
Diane lowered the phone from her ear.
Behind her, Adrian Cross laughed beneath the largest chandelier in the ballroom.
“You really think one phone call scares me?”
Seconds earlier, he had tried to take her phone and force her out through the service corridor. Her lower lip had struck the edge of a champagne tray, leaving the thin red trail he was now pretending not to notice.
The stainless-steel doors closed in sequence.
Guests hurried toward them, pressing the exit bars and pulling the handles. Nothing opened.
Adrian’s smile disappeared.
“Now everyone stays,” Diane said.
He stepped closer, lowering his voice.
“You cannot trap three hundred donors inside my gala.”
Diane looked around the ballroom.
“Your gala?”
The room had been decorated with imported flowers, crystal towers and photographs praising Adrian’s charitable leadership.
Waiters carried champagne worth more than their weekly pay.
Hotel employees had been ordered to enter through the loading dock so wealthy guests would never see them arriving.
Adrian’s charity celebrated working families.
His company had quietly eliminated their pensions.
Diane moved behind his right shoulder.
“You should have let me leave when you had the chance.”
His breathing changed.
Not because the doors were closed.
Because he finally understood why Diane had allowed every board member, donor and investor to enter before making the call.
She had not sealed the ballroom to hurt anyone.
She had kept the witnesses from disappearing before the truth appeared.
Then every chandelier dimmed.
May you like
The ballroom screen turned on.
And Adrian’s private payroll ledger appeared behind him.
