The Gala of Lies
Chapter 04 - The Gala of Lies
The bell pattern led Claire to the abandoned nursery on the third floor. Behind a wardrobe, she found another service shaft. Owen was trapped inside with his wrists tied, but he was conscious. Claire cut him free and carried him toward the ballroom as the signing ceremony began below.
Vivienne stood beneath a portrait of the Blackwood family, smiling for television cameras. “This company will honor Owen’s memory,” she announced, lifting a gold pen.
The ballroom doors burst open.
“He doesn’t need a memorial,” Claire shouted. “He needs you to stop lying about his death.”
Every head turned. Owen stepped beside her.
The room exploded with gasps and camera flashes. Vivienne went white for half a second, then accused Claire of abducting a traumatized child for money. Grant ordered security to arrest her.
But Lucas, bruised and bleeding, reached the control booth first.
The giant screen behind Vivienne changed. Owen’s father appeared in the recovered recording. His voice filled the ballroom, naming the stolen funds and warning that Vivienne would try to remove Owen. Then the screen displayed the original trust agreement beside Vivienne’s forged version. Finally, an audio clip played of Dr. Reed asking whether another sedative dose might kill the boy.
Guests backed away from Vivienne as though her diamonds had become poison.
Grant lunged for Owen. Claire blocked him, and Lucas tackled him. Vivienne snatched the brass key from Claire’s hand and fled through the west corridor, dragging Owen with her. She reached the old service elevator and slammed the gate shut.
“You ruined everything!” she screamed at the boy.
The elevator rose toward the roof, where a helicopter waited. Claire ran up the stairs, but the roof door was locked. Through its window, she saw Vivienne pulling Owen toward the spinning blades.
Then Owen did the one thing she never expected.
He stopped being afraid.
He tore the key from her hand and threw it through the roof grate. Vivienne reached for it, and Owen broke free. Lucas forced the door open just as Owen ran into Claire’s arms.
Police flooded the roof. The reporter had received enough of the upload to alert authorities. Grant surrendered, Dr. Reed was arrested at the gate, and Vivienne finally lost the perfect expression she had worn for years.
As officers led her away, Owen held Claire’s hand.
“Is it over?” he asked.
Claire knelt and pulled him close. “The hiding is over.”
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The next morning, however, a family court judge delivered one final blow: Vivienne had destroyed every approved guardianship document.
Owen was safe, but he had no legal home.
