Underneath the Surface
1117 Words
The invitation was gold-edged and heavy in Anna’s hands.
She turned it over again, re-reading the cursive font: You are cordially invited to the Montgomery–Rivera Engagement Gala.
The name still didn’t feel like hers. “Rivera” looked awkward paired with “Montgomery,” like it didn’t belong.
She placed the card down and stared at herself in the mirror. Vivian’s personal stylist had delivered a custom-fitted gown that shimmered in muted rose gold under the dressing room lights. Her hair had been curled, her lips glossed in a color she never would’ve chosen.
“You look breathtaking,” came a voice from the doorway.
Anna turned. It was Sam, dressed in a tuxedo, holding a folder. “Though, if I’m being honest, you also look like you want to crawl out of your own skin.”
Anna exhaled. “Is it that obvious?”
He walked over, handed her the folder. “You asked me to look into Grace’s recent calls. I found something.”
She opened it, flipping through phone logs, times, dates—Grace had been contacting someone listed under a code name: Indigo Seven. The number traced back to a private island resort off the coast of Malta—owned by one of Montgomery Corp’s shell companies.
Anna’s eyes shot up. “She’s planning something. Or someone is helping her.”
Sam nodded grimly. “And it’s someone inside. This account wouldn’t be active unless someone high up authorized it.”
“Lucas?”
“That’s my guess. But there’s no proof yet. Just whispers.”
Anna closed the folder. “Let’s keep this between us.”
“Always,” he said, voice low. “And be careful tonight.”
The Montgomery ballroom sparkled like a scene from a dream. Crystal chandeliers refracted golden light across the marble floor, and the city's elite mingled in tuxedos and satin. Photographers circled discreetly, snapping shots for tomorrow’s tabloids.
Anna stepped into the room on Ethan’s arm, every inch the poised fiancée—though her heart thundered with nerves.
Ethan leaned closer as applause rippled through the crowd. “Smile. They’re watching.”
“I know,” she whispered through gritted teeth. “You’ve only reminded me four times.”
“Then maybe you’ll finally listen.”
His tone was dry, but his hand on hers felt strangely firm..grounding. The lights, the cameras, the fake smiles… it would’ve been unbearable without that one point of contact.
Vivian approached, nodding approvingly. “You’re doing well. Both of you.”
Then her eyes flicked past Anna’s shoulder.
“Unfortunately,” she added, “not everyone is here to celebrate.”
Grace stood across the room, a vision in black velvet. Her lips curled into a smirk as she raised her glass toward them in mock cheer.
Ethan muttered, “I told security not to let her in.”
“She wasn’t on the list,” Vivian replied. “But someone slipped her through. My guess? Lucas.”
Anna’s gaze narrowed as Grace began drifting their way.
“I’ll handle it,” Ethan said. “Stay here.”
But Anna caught his arm. “Let me.”
She stepped forward before he could stop her, weaving through a cluster of guests until she came face-to-face with Grace.
“You’re braver than I thought,” Grace purred. “Or just very, very stupid.”
“You’re either obsessed,” Anna replied coolly, “or very, very desperate.”
Grace laughed. “Sweetheart, I’ve seen empires rise and fall before you could spell ‘Montgomery.’”
“Then you should know how quickly liars burn.”
Grace’s smile faded. “You think marrying Ethan gives you leverage? You’re still just a phase. The kind that ends.”
“I’m not going anywhere,” Anna said. “But you? Keep pushing, and you’ll vanish so quietly no one will even notice.”
They stood there for a long moment—Grace’s fury barely veiled behind her smile.
And then, from behind Anna, another voice cut through the tension.
“Ladies,” Lucas said, sliding in beside them, his champagne flute in hand. “Let’s not turn this celebration into a battlefield.”
Anna turned slowly. “Funny. You always show up right when things get messy.”
He smiled. “I just hate to see a beautiful evening ruined.”
She stepped back, careful to meet both their gazes. “Enjoy the night. It might be your last one on the inside.”
Ethan had seen the exchange from across the room. When Anna returned to his side, something in her expression had hardened.
He studied her in profile. “What did she say?”
“Nothing I didn’t expect,” Anna replied.
“And Lucas?”
“I think we both know he’s not just drinking champagne tonight.”
Ethan exhaled, reaching into his jacket and pulling out his phone. A quick glance told him Sam had already sent over a batch of encrypted documents—files connected to offshore money movements, secret meetings, and a name neither of them had wanted to see again.
“Indigo Seven,” Ethan muttered. “He’s back.”
Anna’s blood chilled. “That name was in Grace’s call log.”
“Then this goes deeper than I thought,” Ethan said. “My father had dealings with Indigo years ago. Dangerous ones.”
“And now he’s back—because of me?”
Ethan looked at her then—really looked. “No. Because someone wants to burn this family to the ground. You just got caught in the fire.”
A hush fell over the room as the MC tapped a glass and announced, “Ladies and gentlemen, please raise your glasses. To Ethan Montgomery and Anna Rivera—the future of the Montgomery legacy!”
Cheers erupted, but Ethan and Anna stood frozen.
Because at that exact moment, Ethan received a text from Sam.
Urgent. Get Anna out. Now.
He didn’t hesitate.
He grabbed Anna’s hand. “We’re leaving.”
“What? Why?”
“I don’t know yet,” Ethan muttered, already pulling her through the crowd, past the stunned guests and toward the exit.
But just as they reached the hallway, a deafening c***k rang out.
A chandelier overhead groaned—and then came crashing down behind them, glass shattering like an explosion across marble.
Screams erupted. The music stopped.
Anna stared at the wreckage, breathless. Just seconds earlier, they had been standing beneath it.
“Ethan…” she whispered.
He turned slowly to face her, his expression no longer cold or calculated.
It was fear. And fury.
“Someone just tried to kill us.”
- Writer
