Chapter 28
The evening of the charity dinner bathed the sprawling, elite country club in a blinding display of orchestrated opulence. The bright, cinematic lighting was completely devoid of any muddy yellow tint, catching the vibrant colors of the manicured lawns. The atmosphere hummed with the sophisticated chatter of the city's political and corporate elite.
Claire stood near the VIP viewing deck, looking breathtakingly beautiful in a tailored navy evening gown that radiated aristocratic grace. Ethan stood a few paces away, a monument of lethal, masculine power in a flawless black tuxedo. His cold, unblinking eyes scanned the grounds, calculating every angle and blind spot.
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Down in the main hall, Victor Blackwell arrived. He was a tall, scarred man in an unmarked tactical suit, slipping into the shadows, moving with the blunt force of a hired thug. He locked his eyes on the VIP deck and began marching directly toward Claire, entirely underestimating the family he intended to exploit.
Ethan did not intervene immediately. He remained perfectly still, watching the trap spring exactly as he had engineered it. He pressed a finger to his encrypted earpiece. "Let him enter the hall," Ethan commanded smoothly, his volume incredibly low. "Unless he prefers to die out in the cold."
