Chapter 4 - THE PROJECTION
The giant projector screen mounted high above the main stage hummed as the live feed instantly cut out. In its place, a high-definition surveillance recording began to play in crisp, undeniable clarity.
The timestamp in the top right corner read 16:42 PM—less than twenty minutes earlier.
The footage showed the private bridal suite annex. Gareth was alone in the room, pacing back and forth near a coat rack where Lily’s small denim jacket and backpack were slung over a chair. On the screen, Gareth’s face was devoid of the righteous anger he had displayed moments ago; instead, he looked nervous, sweating profusely as he checked his watch and looked toward the door.
The ballroom audience watched in absolute silence as the video played out.
On screen, Gareth reached into his inner tuxedo pocket and pulled out a heavy, platinum luxury watch. Without hesitation, he crouched down, unzipped the small front compartment of Lily's backpack, and slipped the watch inside. He then deliberately knocked the bag onto the floor, kicked it toward the doorway, and walked out of the frame.
A collective gasp, far louder than before, reverberated through the ballroom.
Gareth stared up at the giant screen, his face draining of all color until he looked like a corpse in a tuxedo. His lip quivered, but no sound came out.
"Framing an eight-year-old child?" Marissa’s voice cut through the stillness like a guillotine. She stared at her brother with absolute contempt. "Planting your own stolen merchandise in a toddler's bag just to stage a scene, claim the insurance payout on a fake claim, and ruin my reputation in front of the board?"
"That... that video is a fake!" Gareth stumbled backward, his voice cracking into a high-pitched panic. "She manipulated it! AI deepfake! Mother, tell them! She's framing me!"
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Eleanor stood frozen, her eyes wide as she looked from the screen to her son. The undeniable evidence hung above them in twenty-foot resolution, playing on a loop for two hundred of the city's most prominent figures to see.
"It's over, Gareth," Marissa said quietly.
