CHAPTER 2 — The CCTV Light
The ballroom didn’t move.
Even after Evelyn’s words, even after Sophie’s faint breathing, even after the sirens outside grew louder, the guests stayed frozen like mannequins dressed in luxury.
Preston was the first to break.
He turned his head slowly toward the ceiling.
The red light above the entrance blinked.
Once.
Twice.
Recording.
A muscle in his jaw twitched.
“That camera doesn’t prove anything,” he said, but his voice had changed. Less control. More fracture.
Evelyn stood up, still holding Sophie.
“You planted the phone in her pocket,” she said quietly. “And you knew exactly where she’d sit.”
A whisper moved through the guests.
Madison stepped back. “Preston… what is she talking about?”
Preston didn’t answer.
Because the security guard at the entrance had already picked up his radio.
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And said one sentence that changed everything:
“We’re pulling footage now.”
