Chapter 8 - The Unmasking
"Harper?!" Trevor choked out into the dead silence of the ballroom.
Chloe grabbed Trevor’s arm, her eyes wild with confusion and disgust. "Trevor, what is she doing here?! Security! Get that freak out of here right now!"
None of the security guards moved an inch. They stood at absolute attention, their eyes trained solely on Vincent Calder.
Vincent guided Harper up the velvet stairs of the stage. The silence in the room was so thick you could hear the hum of the air conditioning. Every camera in the room, originally hired to document Trevor's triumph, swung around to focus on Harper and Vincent.
"Trevor," Vincent’s deep voice echoed effortlessly through the hall, cutting through the stillness like a razor. "You didn't think you'd close the deal without the guest of honor, did you?"
Trevor stammered, his confident swagger completely vanishing into trembling panic. "M-Mr. Calder... I don't understand. Why are you with her? Harper is unstable. She’s mentally unwell from her... her condition. I tried to protect her—"
"You tried to hide her," Harper spoke.
Her voice wasn't trembling anymore. It was clear, resonant, and echoed with righteous anger. She stepped directly in front of Trevor, looking him dead in the eye.
"You told me I was a walking nightmare," Harper said, every word amplified by the hot microphones on the stage. "You told me you were ashamed to be seen with me. You left me with cold food on the table less than three hours ago, kicking me out of our home."
The socialites and investors in the audience began to murmur, horrified glances darting between Trevor and Chloe.
"Harper, shut your mouth!" Chloe hissed, stepping forward aggressively. "You're a pathetic charity case living off Trevor's hard work! You have no right to crash this event!"
Vincent stepped between Chloe and Harper, his towering presence casting a cold shadow over the councilman's daughter.
"Charity case?" Vincent sneered coldly. He lifted his hand and snapped his fingers once.
Instantly, the massive LED presentation screen behind the stage flickered to life.
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👉 What appeared on the fifty-foot screen made Trevor drop to his knees in horror.
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