The Rise Of The Quintillionaire

Chapter 4

Flash! Flash! Flash!

Bright white lights exploded in the dark night. Dozens of cameras clicked rapidly, making a loud, buzzing noise like a swarm of angry bees. Reporters shouted over the red velvet ropes, begging for attention.

“Lisa! Over here, Lisa!”

“Mr. Vance, look this way!” 

“Lisa, who made that beautiful dress?”

Lisa Vance smiled. It was a perfect, practiced smile. She stopped walking on the long red carpet and turned her body so the cameras could get a better angle. She loved the bright lights. She loved the attention. For the first time in her life, she felt like she truly belonged. She felt like she had finally made it. 

Around her neck rested a massive, glittering diamond necklace. The heavy jewels caught the light of the camera flashes and sparkled like stars. Marcus had bought it for her just two days ago. It cost over two hundred thousand dollars. Every time she felt the cold, heavy stones against her skin, she felt powerful. 

She remembered her old life with Alex. She remembered living in a small, boring house. She remembered checking the bank account every week to see if they had enough money for groceries. She remembered Alex coming home smelling like cheap soap and smoke. 

That life was over. The dirt and the struggle were gone. Now, she was a queen.

Marcus Vance stepped up beside her. He wrapped his arm tightly around her thin waist. He was wearing an expensive dark blue velvet jacket. His hair was slicked back, and his teeth were bleached perfectly white. He waved to the reporters with a confident, arrogant grin. 

"We need to go inside, my love," Marcus whispered in Lisa's ear. "The Mayor is waiting for us. We cannot keep the most important people in the city waiting."

Lisa nodded gently. "Of course, Marcus."

Together, they walked away from the flashing cameras and stepped through the huge glass doors of the Grand Plaza Hotel. 

Inside, the Grand Ballroom was breathtaking. It looked like a palace. The ceilings were painted with gold. Massive crystal chandeliers hung from the roof, shining bright light down onto the polished marble floor. There were huge ice sculptures shaped like swans on the tables. Waiters in neat black suits walked around carrying silver trays filled with expensive champagne and tiny, rich foods. 

Soft, beautiful classical music filled the air. A string quartet was playing violins in the corner of the room. The room was filled with the richest, most powerful people in the state. 

Marcus walked confidently into the center of the room. He felt like he owned the world. He stopped to talk to a small group of very important men. There was Mayor Thomas, Police Chief Davis, and Judge Miller. 

"Marcus, this is a beautiful event," Mayor Thomas said, raising his glass. "You really know how to throw a party."

"Only the best for this city, Mayor," Marcus said loudly, making sure the people standing nearby could hear him. He took a sip of his drink and smiled proudly. "I just closed the deal on the new downtown real estate project. We are building three new luxury towers. Do you know what my company is worth now, gentlemen?"

The men leaned in closely.

"Half a billion dollars," Marcus bragged. His chest puffed out. "Five hundred million. In just six months, I have turned a small safety company into a real estate empire."

"Amazing," Judge Miller said, nodding his head. "You are a true business genius, Marcus."

Lisa walked up to the group and gently put her hand on Marcus's arm. She smiled warmly at the older men. 

"And he is so generous, too," Lisa said in her soft, sweet voice. "He paid for this whole charity gala with his own money."

Police Chief Davis looked at Lisa with kind, sad eyes. "It is a wonderful thing you are doing, Lisa. Raising money for the fire department. We all know why you are doing it. We still miss Alex Carter every single day. He was a brave firefighter."

Lisa immediately changed her face. The bright smile vanished. She looked down at the marble floor and let her shoulders drop. She forced a sad, broken look into her eyes. She lifted one finger and carefully wiped a fake tear from the corner of her eye. 

"Thank you, Chief Davis," Lisa whispered, her voice shaking just a little bit. "Alex was... he was a hero. When the fire took him, it took half of my heart. I miss him every single day. I just want to honor his memory."

Marcus wrapped his arms around Lisa and pulled her close to his chest. He looked at the politicians with a serious, brave face. "It has been a very hard six months for Lisa. But we carry his memory with us. We survive for Alex."

It was a perfect performance. The politicians looked at them with deep respect and pity. They had no idea that Marcus and Lisa were the ones who locked the doors. They had no idea that the "grieving widow" and the "loyal best friend" had left Alex to burn alive in the dark. 

Suddenly, a horrible, high-pitched screech echoed through the beautiful ballroom. 

SCREEECH!

The classical music stopped instantly. The violin players jumped in shock, lowering their instruments. The soft, happy chatter of the hundreds of guests died away. The entire ballroom became completely, awkwardly silent. 

People looked around in confusion. What was happening?

BANG!

The sound was like a bomb going off. The massive, heavy mahogany doors at the front entrance of the ballroom were kicked open with brutal force. The thick doors smashed loudly against the walls.