The Shattered Gala
Before Richard could answer, a soft, commanding voice cut through the tension.
"Enough, Richard."
The crowd parted. Arthur Vance, the seventy-two-year-old patriarch of the family, moved forward with a silver-tipped walking stick. His hair was stark white, his posture stoic, though his eyes bore the exhaustion of a man who had spent five decades managing fragile egos and ruthless boardrooms.
"Grandfather," Richard stammered, dropping his arm. "She let the child steal the heirloom. She orchestrated the collapse—"
"A heavy timber fallen from a decorative column is not the fault of a seven-year-old girl," Arthur said softly, his gaze resting on the blood trailing down Lily’s temple. He turned to Helena, his expression unreadable. "Helena. It has been some time."
"Mr. Vance," Helena responded evenly, not lowering her defensive posture. "My daughter requires medical attention, not an interrogation."
Arthur nodded once to the head of security standing by the double mahogany doors. "Bring the private physician from the suite upstairs immediately. Have a car prepared at the rear portico."
"Grandfather, you can't just let them walk out!" Richard protested, stepping toward the old man. "The seal ring is worth half a million dollars! It was left to me by my father!"
Arthur turned sharply, his walking stick striking the marble tile with a definitive crack. "A piece of carved gold has no value if our house collapses in plain view of every creditor and politician in this city. You will compose yourself, Richard. Now."
The physician, an elderly woman with quick hands, hurried through the crowd with a medical kit. She gently cleaned Lily’s forehead, applying a sterile butterfly bandage while the child buried her face in Helena’s shoulder, her small body trembling with silent sobs.
May you like
As Helena turned to leave, Arthur stepped into her path, keeping his voice low so only she could hear. "I know why you came tonight, Helena. It wasn't to admire the restoration."
"No," Helena whispered back, holding her daughter tighter. "It was to see if the rot had reached the foundation yet. It seems it has."
