Chapter 6 - The Uninvited Guest
The crowd hushed, turning their eyes toward the stage as Julian assumed a solemn, grieving expression.
"Ten years ago, my family endured a terrible tragedy," Julian began into the microphone, his voice trembling with manufactured emotion. "And tonight, with a heavy heart, I must share that my beloved brother, Dante, has succumbed to a sudden, fatal heart condition—"
CLAP. CLAP. CLAP.
A single pair of hands began clapping slowly from the back of the grand ballroom.
The slow, echoing applause cut through Julian’s speech like a physical blow. Julian’s breath hitched in his throat. The smile on his face froze into a ghastly mask.
The heavy mahogany double doors of the ballroom swung wide open.
Walking down the center aisle, stepping over the plush crimson carpet, was Dante Moretti.
He looked immaculate in his black suit, his dark wavy hair neatly styled, his posture rigid and commanding. Walking one step behind him was Elena, her sharp eyes scanning every security guard posted along the balcony.
The room erupted into shocked whispers. Senator Vance backed away from the stage, his eyes wide in disbelief.
"Julian," Dante called out, his low, lethal voice effortlessly carrying over the silent hall without a microphone. "You always were terrible at delivering news."
Julian’s face drained of color until he looked like a walking corpse. He gripped the edges of the podium so hard his gloved hand shook violently.
"Dante..." Julian stammered, his voice cracking through the speakers. "You... you're alive..."
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"Disappointed?" Dante asked, stepping onto the raised stage, his dark eyes locking onto his younger brother with the intensity of a predator cornering its prey.
👉 What evidence has Elena prepared to expose Julian's ten-year network of lies in front of high society?
