Chapter 6 - The Setup
The news of the sudden, expedited wedding ceremony broke across the city like wildfire.
Nathan Cole and Victoria Sterling were to be married at the annual Sterling-Cole Charity Gala. It was billed as the union of the century.
Victoria was ecstatic. She stood in her dressing room at the grand hotel, adjusting her custom diamond tiara. Her father, Richard, stood behind her, sipping champagne.
"You see, darling? I told you he would fall in line," Richard chuckled. "A little pressure, a little threat of jail time for his precious maid, and the boy caves. The Cole empire is ours."
"Make sure that maid gets a transfer to the maximum-security facility on Monday," Victoria sneered, adjusting her lipstick. "I don't want her breathing the same air as me."
Meanwhile, three floors down, Nathan was in the server room of the hotel. Beside him was his chief of security and a team of trusted tech specialists.
"Are all the feeds connected?" Nathan asked.
"Yes, sir. The gala's main projection screens, the live television feed to the news networks, and the hotel's internal speaker system. When you give the signal, we bypass the Sterling PR team."
"Good." Nathan checked his watch. "And Marcus?"
"Marcus is at the courthouse. He bypassed the Sterling-owned judge by taking the new evidence directly to the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The feds are processing Grace's release right now."
Nathan closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. He thought of Lily's smile, of Grace's bruised shoulder, of his father's final, desperate message.
He walked out of the server room and headed toward the grand ballroom. He stepped into the blinding flash of paparazzi cameras. He smiled, shaking hands, playing the perfect billionaire groom.
He watched Victoria glide down the grand staircase in a multi-million-dollar gown, playing the radiant, innocent bride.
May you like
Nathan took his place at the center stage. The orchestra played perfectly. The elite of the city watched with bated breath.
Let the show begin, Nathan thought.
