Chapter 1 - The Blackout
The pitch-black atrium erupted into chaos. Five hundred elite guests gasped, their voices merging into a panicked murmur. Glass shattered as someone stumbled into a table.
"Julian? What is going on?" Arthur Sterling’s voice echoed through the darkness, stripping away his arrogant composure.
"I don't know, Father! The backup generators should have kicked in immediately," Julian yelled back.
From the safety of the catering corridor, I watched through the narrow glass window of the heavy oak doors. My cheek throbbed, but the pain was eclipsed by the adrenaline pumping through my veins. The Sterlings thought they were untouchable. They thought my silence was weakness.
Suddenly, the heavy double doors at the main entrance of the atrium burst open. A blinding floodlight pierced the darkness, casting long, dramatic shadows across the panicked crowd.
Silhouetted in the doorway stood my father, Alexander Vance. Behind him were six men in dark suits—his private security and legal team.
"Nobody move," my father’s voice boomed through a portable megaphone. It wasn't a request; it was a command from a man who commanded billions.
The emergency backup lights flickered on, casting a dim, eerie glow over the ballroom. Julian squinted, stepping toward the entrance. "Alexander? What is the meaning of this? Why did you cut the power to my hotel?"
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My father lowered the megaphone, his eyes locking onto Julian with a cold, predatory stare.
"Your hotel, Julian?" my father asked, his voice dripping with lethal calm. "You might want to check your email. As of eight minutes ago, you are trespassing on my property."
