Chapter 7 - The Gala
My family planned to display my stolen life in front of three hundred people.
The gala was held in a private mountain resort outside Boulder.
By the time I arrived, the parking lot was full of luxury vehicles.
Black SUVs.
Porsches.
Bentleys.
Classic Jaguars.
I stepped out of Logan's car wearing a simple black dress.
No mechanic's boots.
No grease.
No excuse for them to dismiss me.
But I wasn't there to impress anyone.
I was there to watch them lie.
The ballroom doors opened.
Inside, the Charger sat beneath a spotlight.
My Charger.
Polished.
Perfect.
Stolen.
Ava stood beside it.
She was wearing a silver dress.
She looked radiant.
She also looked terrified when she saw me.
“Willow.”
I smiled.
“Nice display.”
She lowered her voice.
“You shouldn't be here.”
“Why?”
“This is a private event.”
“My car is here.”
Her face tightened.
“It belongs to the family.”
“Interesting.”
I looked at the Charger.
“I don't remember giving it to you.”
Ava stepped closer.
“You'll ruin everything.”
“That's becoming a theme.”
She glanced around.
“Please.”
There was something in her eyes I'd never seen before.
Fear.
Not fear of me.
Fear of what would happen if the truth came out.
Before I could speak, Dad appeared.
His expression was controlled.
“Willow.”
I turned.
“Dad.”
“What are you doing?”
“Looking at my car.”
“This isn't the place.”
“You brought it here.”
“You agreed to the display.”
“No.”
His jaw tightened.
“Don't embarrass yourself.”
That old sentence.
The one they used whenever I stopped obeying.
I looked around the ballroom.
“Funny.”
He frowned.
“I was worried about embarrassing you.”
Then I stepped closer to the Charger.
I opened the driver's door.
Inside, the dashboard looked untouched.
Except for one thing.
A small black device tucked beneath the steering column.
I froze.
“What is that?”
Dad moved quickly.
“Don't touch it.”
I looked at him.
“Why?”
No answer.
Logan stepped forward.
Elena was already beside us.
She photographed the device.
Dad's assistant tried to block her.
She moved around him.
“This isn't yours to conceal.”
Dad snapped.
“Get out.”
Elena smiled.
“No.”
Ava looked like she might collapse.
Then someone spoke behind us.
“David?”
A distinguished older man approached.
Logan's father.
Richard Hayes.
He looked at me.
Then at the Charger.
Then at my father.
“Why is your daughter here?”
Dad answered smoothly.
“She helped build the car.”
Richard stared.
“For how long?”
I answered.
“Eleven months.”
Richard looked at me.
“Were you compensated?”
I shook my head.
“Then why is your name absent from the display materials?”
Dad stepped in.
“This is a family matter.”
Richard didn't look at him.
He looked at me.
“Is the car yours?”
“Yes.”
Richard nodded.
Then asked:
“Would you like to explain why my son sent me copies of a forged vehicle transfer?”
The ballroom went silent.
Ava's hand flew to her mouth.
Dad turned toward Logan.
“What did you do?”
Logan didn't answer.
Elena stepped forward.
“We sent documentary evidence to Mr. Hayes.”
Richard looked around the room.
“Ladies and gentlemen, I believe we have misunderstood who owns the centerpiece.”
My father moved toward me.
I took one step back.
Then he stopped.
Because a security guard approached.
He held a sealed envelope.
“For Willow Carter.”
I opened it.
Inside was a court notice.
A temporary order freezing several Carter Holdings assets.
The Charger was listed.
So were the company's automotive interests.
Dad stared at the document.
“What did you do?”
I looked at him.
“I stopped being useful.”
For a moment, nobody spoke.
Then the black device beneath the dashboard made a faint blinking light.
Logan noticed.
“What's that?”
Elena crouched.
She examined it.
Her face went pale.
“This is a GPS tracker.”
I looked at Dad.
“Why would you track my car?”
He said nothing.
Then someone near the ballroom entrance shouted.
“Where's Ava?”
We turned.
May you like
She was gone.
And so was the envelope containing the original loan documents.
