Chapter 4 - The Unwanted Guests
Celeste had been standing near the center of the ballroom, surrounded by a circle of wealthy, sycophantic executives, basking in the glow of their constant flattery.
But as she sipped her vintage champagne, her sharp, judgmental eyes caught a glimpse of movement near the perimeter of the room. She spotted Luke and Leo standing quietly by a white column.
Her reaction was immediate, visceral disgust.
In Celeste's highly curated, intensely elitist worldview, the presence of a man in a worn dark gray canvas coat and a hoodie was an absolute, unforgivable insult to her perfect evening. She didn't see a father and a son; she saw "low-class trash" actively staining the aesthetic of her multi-million-dollar corporate event.
She assumed Luke was simply a member of the maintenance staff who had lazily wandered out of the service corridors to gawk at his betters.
Instead of quietly asking security to redirect them, Celeste’s profound narcissism took over. She saw an opportunity to assert her absolute dominance, to provide a cruel, entertaining spectacle for her wealthy friends by publicly crushing someone she believed was entirely powerless to fight back.
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She marched across the polished hardwood floor, her red sequined evening gown swishing aggressively, carrying her crystal champagne flute like a weapon. She stopped right in front of them, intentionally smashing the glass on the floor to draw the attention of the entire room, forcing everyone to watch her flex her pathetic, unearned authority.
👉 Read Part 5 to return to the terrifying confrontation in the ballroom.
