Chapter 3 - Blood and Ink
The ballroom of the Grand Metropole was a sea of black ties and silk evening gowns. Marcus arrived with Evelyn on his arm, forcing a radiant smile despite the knot tightening in his gut since opening the courier's envelope. He scanned the room for Chloe Vance, the socialite he had spent six months courting behind Elena’s back, promising her the Sterling name in exchange for her family's backing.
""Marcus, darling,"" Chloe purred, approaching with a glass of vintage champagne. Her emerald dress accentuated her calculated beauty. ""My father hasn't arrived yet. He said the true majority shareholder of the Vance Trust decided to attend in person tonight.""
Marcus felt a chill ripple down his spine. ""The majority shareholder? I thought your father held eighty percent.""
Chloe offered an airy, dismissive shrug. ""Old family trusts are convoluted. Someone from the founding bloodline emerged from seclusion. Don’t fret, sweet Marcus. No one refuses a Sterling proposal.""
At precisely eight-fifteen, the heavy double doors at the head of the ballroom swung open. The master of ceremonies stepped to the podium, his microphone humming.
May you like
""Ladies and gentlemen, honored guests: welcoming the sole direct heir to the Vance Legacy, Miss Elena Vance.""
The room collectively turned. Walking down the grand staircase, draped in tailored midnight-blue velvet that swallowed the room's candelabra glow, was the woman they had thrown into the gutter twenty-four hours earlier.
