Chapter 7 - THE BLUE DIAMONDS OF WAR
The gala was held in the atrium of the Museum of Modern Art,
a space filled with the scent of lilies and the hum of the city's elite.
I felt the weight of the blue diamonds around my neck,
each stone a cold,
heavy reminder of the stakes.
Ethan moved through the crowd with the grace of a panther,
his hand firm on the small of my back.
He was no longer the distant husband.
He was a man staking his claim.
We were approached by a man in a silver suit,
his smile as artificial as the lighting in the room.
"Victor,"
Ethan said,
his voice like velvet-covered steel.
"I don't believe you've met my wife."
Victor,
the CEO of V-Tech,
bowed over my hand,
his eyes lingering on the diamonds for a second too long.
"A pleasure,
Mrs. Carter,"
he said,
his voice dripping with a false sincerity.
"We've heard so much about you."
"And yet you know so little,"
I replied,
surprising even myself with the sharpness of my tone.
Ethan’s hand tightened slightly on my back,
a silent signal of approval.
Victor’s smile faltered for a fraction of a second.
"I hear the merger is progressing well,"
Victor said,
turning back to Ethan.
"Evelyn says the data migration is almost complete."
"She’s a very efficient woman,"
Ethan agreed.
"Almost too efficient."
I watched Victor’s eyes,
noticing a flicker of unease.
He wasn't used to Ethan being this present,
this engaged.
Across the room,
I saw Evelyn.
She was talking to a group of investors,
but her eyes were darting toward us every few seconds.
She looked like she was waiting for a signal.
"Excuse me,"
I said,
offering Victor a polite,
empty smile.
"I think I see a friend."
I walked away from the men,
my long silk dress whispering against the marble floor.
I didn't go to a friend.
I went to the powder room,
the one place I knew Evelyn would follow me.
I waited by the mirrors,
adjusting my hair,
watching the door in the reflection.
Two minutes later,
she entered.
She looked at me,
her face a mask of professional concern.
"Elara,"
she said.
"You shouldn't be here."
"The board is very unhappy about your involvement."
"The board doesn't own me,
Evelyn,"
I said,
turning to face her.
"And neither does Victor."
She went pale,
her hand going to her throat.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"The pen,"
I said,
taking a step toward her.
"The haptic signal."
"The private account in the Cayman Islands."
"Ethan knows everything."
"And he’s already sent the evidence to the SEC."
She tried to laugh,
but it was a brittle,
shaking sound.
"You're bluffing."
"You're just a girl he bought to pay off a debt."
"I'm the woman who just watched you hand over the keys to your own prison,"
I said.
"Check your phone,
Evelyn."
"I think your lawyer is trying to call you."
The terror that filled her eyes was the most beautiful thing I had seen in three years.
She turned and fled the room,
tripping over her own heels.
I walked out of the powder room,
my head held high.
May you like
The decoration was finished.
The war had begun.
