The Gala Trap
1170 Words
Naomi couldn’t take her eyes off the note.
She dies before Saturday night.
The words sent a chill through her entire body.
The marble floor was covered with shattered glass, but she barely noticed it.
Jaxon quietly folded the note and handed it back to Arthur.
“Lock down the estate.”
Arthur nodded.
“No one enters or leaves without my approval.”
Within seconds, security guards spread throughout the mansion.
Doors were locked.
The gates were sealed.
The atmosphere instantly changed from luxurious to dangerous.
Naomi wrapped her arms around herself.
“I should leave.”
Jaxon turned sharply.
“No.”
“They’re after me.”
“They’re using you to get to me.”
“Exactly.”
“If I disappear, they’ll stop.”
“They won’t.”
His voice was firm.
“You don’t know that.”
“I do.”
She looked at him.
“How?”
“Because people like this don’t stop once they’ve started.”
He stepped closer.
“They’ll keep coming until they get what they want.”
Naomi lowered her eyes.
“So I’ve become your weakness.”
“No.”
“You’ve become their target.”
Arthur walked toward them.
“The police are on their way.”
Naomi looked up.
“You called the police?”
“I had no choice.”
Twenty minutes later, two detectives arrived at the mansion.
One was a woman in her early forties with sharp brown eyes.
The other was a younger man carrying a tablet.
The female detective introduced herself.
“I’m Detective Rachel Morgan.”
She shook hands with Jaxon before turning to Naomi.
“You must be Mrs. Hayes.”
Naomi hesitated.
“Yes.”
The lie felt easier to tell now.
Rachel studied the broken window before examining the brick.
“No fingerprints.”
The younger detective sighed.
“Whoever did this wore gloves.”
Rachel looked at Naomi.
“Have you received any threats before today?”
“No.”
“Any strange phone calls?”
“No.”
“Anyone following you?”
Naomi thought for a moment.
“Not that I noticed.”
Rachel turned toward Jaxon.
“What about you?”
“I’ve received anonymous threats over the years.”
“Were they investigated?”
“Every time.”
“And?”
“They led nowhere.”
Rachel nodded thoughtfully.
“This feels different.”
“How?”
“The messages have become personal.”
She held up the latest note.
“They’re no longer threatening your career.”
“They’re threatening someone’s life.”
The room fell silent.
Arthur entered carrying a small envelope.
“This was found near the front gate.”
Rachel frowned.
“What is it?”
“It arrived by courier ten minutes ago.”
She carefully opened it.
Inside was a single invitation.
Elegant.
Black.
Embossed with gold lettering.
Rachel read it aloud.
Mr. and Mrs. Jaxon Hayes are cordially invited to the Hayes Charity Gala.
Naomi frowned.
“That’s Grandpa’s event.”
Rachel nodded.
“It gets worse.”
She turned the invitation over.
Written across the back in red ink were four words.
We’ll see you there.
Jaxon’s face darkened.
Rachel looked at him.
“I strongly recommend canceling the gala.”
William’s voice suddenly echoed from the staircase.
“No.”
Everyone turned.
The old man slowly descended the stairs despite Arthur’s attempt to stop him.
“You should be resting,” Jaxon said.
“I’ve rested enough.”
William reached the bottom step.
“I heard everything.”
He looked at Rachel.
“If I cancel this gala…”
“The person behind these threats wins.”
Rachel sighed.
“My concern is everyone’s safety.”
“My concern is my family.”
William turned toward Jaxon.
“You’ve spent your entire life running from people who wanted to control you.”
“I’m done running.”
Naomi walked over.
“Grandpa.”
He smiled gently.
“You don’t have to worry about me.”
“I’m worried about everyone.”
William patted her hand.
“My dear.”
“This family has survived worse.”
Jaxon looked unconvinced.
“I don’t like this.”
William chuckled.
“You’ve never liked my decisions.”
Arthur’s phone rang.
He answered immediately.
His expression changed.
“What?”
The room fell silent.
He ended the call and looked directly at Jaxon.
“Our cybersecurity team has been hacked.”
“What?”
“The security cameras around the estate.”
Naomi’s heart dropped.
“They’re offline.”
Rachel frowned.
“Can you restore them?”
“We’re trying.”
The younger detective looked at his tablet.
“Whoever did this knows exactly what they’re doing.”
Arthur nodded grimly.
“They disabled every camera at the same time.”
William sighed.
“So they’re already inside our defenses.”
Jaxon looked toward every window in the room.
For the first time since Naomi had met him…
He looked genuinely worried.
Rachel closed her notebook.
“Until we know who’s responsible, Naomi should never be left alone.”
Jaxon answered immediately.
“She won’t be.”
Naomi looked at him.
“You don’t have to babysit me.”
“I’m not.”
“I’m protecting my wife.”
The words escaped his mouth so naturally that even he seemed surprised.
Their eyes met.
Neither of them corrected the statement.
Rachel smiled faintly.
“I’ll assign officers outside the estate.”
Arthur nodded.
“We’ll double our own security.”
As everyone discussed the new arrangements, Naomi quietly slipped onto the back terrace.
She needed air.
The cool evening breeze brushed against her face.
She closed her eyes.
Just forty eight hours ago, she had been worried about rent.
Now police officers guarded her.
The media followed her.
Someone wanted her dead.
“What a life,” she whispered.
“You’ll get used to it.”
She turned.
Jaxon stood in the doorway holding two mugs.
“I made coffee.”
She accepted one.
“You make coffee?”
“I make terrible coffee.”
She took a cautious sip.
Then laughed.
“This is awful.”
“I warned you.”
For the first time in days, they both laughed.
The sound felt strangely comforting.
After a moment, Naomi became serious.
“Can I ask you something?”
“Anything.”
“If this contract didn’t exist…”
He looked at her.
“…would we have ever met?”
Jaxon smiled thoughtfully.
“I don’t think so.”
She nodded.
“I didn’t think so either.”
Silence settled between them.
Then he spoke quietly.
“But I’m glad we did.”
Naomi looked into his eyes.
Her heart skipped.
Before she could respond, a gunshot shattered the peaceful silence.
The coffee mug exploded in Jaxon’s hand.
Glass scattered across the terrace.
Naomi screamed.
Jaxon immediately tackled her to the ground.
Another bullet struck the stone wall inches above their heads.
Someone was shooting at them.
- Writer
