Chapter 4 - The Whispers of the Elite
"Security!" Celeste snapped her fingers sharply in the air, the loud cracking sound echoing like a gunshot in the tense ballroom. "Where is the useless security detail in this house?!"
Two massive, broad-shouldered men in dark suits immediately detached themselves from the perimeter of the room, their heavy footsteps clicking ominously against the marble as they closed in on the center of the ballroom.
Marisol’s breath hitched. Panic, cold and sharp, flooded her veins. She tightened her grip on Daisy, instinctively turning her back toward the approaching guards so that if they grabbed anyone, they would have to grab her first.
"Please," Marisol begged, finally looking up at Celeste with desperate, tear-filled eyes. "You don't need to do this. I'm leaving. We are leaving right now. Please don't let them touch my daughter."
"They aren't just going to touch her, they are going to throw both of you into the street where you belong," Celeste hissed, her eyes wide and manic. She looked around the room, feeding off the silent, stunned attention of the city’s most powerful socialites. This was her night. Her moment to prove she was the undisputed queen of the Blackwell empire.
The whispers of the elite crowd grew slightly louder. Some looked uncomfortable, shifting in their expensive shoes. Others watched with morbid fascination. But what unnerved Celeste the most was the one person who wasn't reacting at all.
Out of the corner of her eye, Celeste saw Caleb still standing by the staircase. He hadn't moved a single muscle. He hadn't spoken a single word to defend her honor or demand the staff be punished. His absolute, chilling silence was making her skin crawl, pushing her to act even more aggressively to force his hand and prove her dominance.
"Grab them!" Celeste screamed at the guards, pointing a shaking finger at Marisol. "Drag them out the back door!"
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The closest security guard reached out his massive hand, his fingers grazing the rough fabric of Marisol’s uniform.
👉 The guards were inches away from physically dragging the mother away, but a tiny voice was about to freeze the entire room.
