Chapter 40 - THE WOLVES AT THE FEAST
The double doors of the grand ballroom swung open, and the warmth of a hundred chattering voices and chamber music spilled into the foyer. I walked in smoothly, bypassing the stunned valet who didn't recognize me under the tailored silhouette of my bespoke Italian suit.
The room fell silent in expanding ripples as heads began to turn.
I didn't sneak in; I walked straight down the center aisle toward the raised dais where Evelyn stood beside an easel displaying an architectural rendering of the destroyed estate, renamed *The Sterling Crest Luxury Estates*.
Carter was the first to spot me. He nearly choked on his vintage champagne, coughing violently before his face contorted into a mask of ugly amusement.
"Well, well, well," Carter announced loudly, clinking his silver spoon against his crystal glass to draw everyone’s attention. The music stopped instantly. "Look what the wind blew in! Ladies and gentlemen, it seems my prodigal brother Alex has decided to grace us with his presence."
Evelyn turned, her emerald eyes narrowing to cold slits. But instead of showing fear, she leaned into her performance. She smoothed down her velvet gown, adjusting grandmother's diamond necklace, and let a condescending smirk spread across her face.
"Alex," Evelyn sighed, her voice amplified by the wireless microphone clipped to her collar so every high-society guest could hear. "I thought we made it clear at Easter that Linwood Manor is no longer a shelter for disgraced ex-CEOs. Did you run out of legal defense funds already? Did you come to beg for Carter to toss you a consultant stipend?"
Laughter rippled through the crowd of corrupt associates and investors. Carter puffed out his chest, stepping down the stairs to stand three feet from me.
"You should have stayed away, little brother," Carter sneered in a hushed tone, leaning close so only I could hear. "We own the courts. We own the assets. By midnight, this entire valley belongs to the Sterling group, and you won't even have a park bench with your name on it."
I looked at him calmly, not blinking, not flinching. "You're selling Dad’s legacy to criminals, Carter. You're liquidating land that belonged to this town for over a century."
"Dad is dead and rotting in the ground!" Carter snapped, raising his voice so the whole room could hear. "And his legacy belongs to those who have the power to wield it! You have nothing, Alex. No money, no power, and no family."
Evelyn raised her glass, looking down at me from the stage like a queen regarding a peasant. "Security! Please escort my son off the property. And make sure he doesn't steal any silverware on his way out."
Two burly private security guards moved toward me, reaching for my shoulders.
May you like
I didn't move. I simply raised my hand and checked the tarnished gold pocket watch, clicking the winding crown.
"Before you throw me out, Mother," I said, my voice cutting through the silent room like a razor, "you might want to check the guest list. Because the true owner of Linwood Manor just arrived."
