2026-09-18 21:58:23
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CHAPTER 28 PART 3
Derek and Fae returned to the parlor separately. He went first. She followed a few minutes later after composing herself in the hallway. Neither of them mentioned what had just happened with Victor.The room had grown quieter. Several more guests had said their goodbyes. The long table was half empty now. Brett was near the side entrance speaking with one of the remaining staff members.Derek was reaching for his glass of water when a tall man in a dark navy suit approached the table. He was in his late fifties with graying hair combed neatly back and sharp brown eyes that studied everything without rushing. His posture was straight and his expression was calm but carried the kind of authority that came from decades of leading a room without needing to raise his voice.Fae noticed him first. Her back straightened and her expression tightened slightly."Derek," Fae said quietly. "This is my father. Henry Gray."Derek stood and extended his hand. Henry shook it firmly without smiling."
CHAPTER 28 PART 2
Derek stepped out of the parlor and walked down a quiet hallway toward the washroom. His hands were still dirty and the cuts on his palms had started to sting. He turned the faucet and let the cold water run over his fingers.He was drying his hands with a cloth towel when the door opened behind him.Victor Harrington walked in and closed the door. His jacket was unbuttoned and his tie was loosened. The polished confidence he had carried earlier in the evening was gone. What remained was something harder and more desperate."We need to talk," Victor said with a tight and controlled voice."I do not think we do," Derek replied with a flat expression, tossing the towel onto the counter."How much?" Victor asked directly.Derek looked at him. "How much what?""How much money would it take for you to walk away from Fae?" Victor said with cold and calculating eyes. "Name a number. I will write the check tonight."Derek stared at him for a long moment. His face did not change. No surprise.
CHAPTER 28 PART 1
The banquet resumed in a smaller room on the east side of the residence. The original hall had been closed off while the fire department completed its walkthrough of the service corridor. A long table with white linen had been set up in the parlor and the remaining guests gathered around it in quieter, more thoughtful groups than before.Derek sat near the end of the table with a fresh glass of water and a plate he had not touched. Someone had offered him a clean shirt from the house staff but he had politely refused. He was still wearing the dust covered white shirt with the sleeves rolled past his elbows.The conversations around the table circled back to what had happened in the corridor every few minutes. A man near the center of the table turned to his wife and said he had never seen anything like it. A woman across from him agreed. Another guest said the young man had been remarkably calm.Victor had followed the group into the smaller room, but his presence had changed. He stoo
CHAPTER 27 PART 6
The banquet hall had thinned by nearly half. Several guests had left quietly after the fire department's assessment. Others remained in small groups near the entrance, speaking in low voices. The music had not returned. The champagne trays sat untouched on the side table.Victor made one final attempt to reclaim the room. He straightened his jacket, fixed his cuffs, and walked toward the center of the hall where a small group of the Gray family's closest associates were gathered."I think we have all had enough excitement for one evening," Victor announced with a wide and practiced smile. "Perhaps we can move the conversation to the terrace. I would love to discuss some of the development projects the Harrington Group has planned for the coming year."No one moved.The silence was polite but unmistakable. One man looked at his watch. A woman adjusted her shawl and turned her attention to the person beside her. Nobody accepted the invitation.Victor's smile held but his eyes flickered.
CHAPTER 27 PART 5
The responding fire officer was a broad man with a clipboard and a serious face. He stood near the side entrance with two of his crew members behind him. His name tag read Captain Torres."Moss," Torres said with a firm nod. "Your Vice Captain filled me in. I want to hear your assessment of the building."Derek stood with his hands at his sides and spoke clearly."When the smoke was first reported, I noticed three problems," Derek began with a focused expression. "The secondary exit near the loading dock was blocked by stacked catering equipment. The service corridor had no visible emergency lighting. And the guests had no evacuation guidance. Nobody directed them toward marked exits. They all moved toward the main entrance because that was the only way they knew."Torres wrote something on his clipboard and nodded slowly."I found a kitchen worker named Darren near the circuit panel," Derek continued. "The smoke appeared to originate from that area. The second worker, Miguel, was tra
CHAPTER 27 PART 4
Victor had been watching from the far side of the room for the past thirty minutes. He stood near the tall windows with his arms folded and his jaw tight. Every handshake Derek received, every nod of respect from the guests, landed on Victor like a personal insult.He waited until Brett stepped away to speak with the responding fire officer near the side entrance. Then Victor walked toward Derek with a stiff and controlled stride."Quite the performance," Victor said with a sharp and mocking voice as he stopped in front of Derek's chair.Derek looked up at him with a tired and unbothered expression. "What do you want, Victor?""I want you to understand something," Victor replied with a low tone, leaning slightly forward. "This room was impressed tonight. I will give you that. But impressions fade. You are still a firefighter who earns a fraction of what any man in this room spends on a weekend.""Is there a point coming?" Derek asked flatly.Victor's eyes narrowed. He glanced toward F
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