The Gala Game
1273 Words
CHAPTER TEN
The city glittered beneath the stars.
From the balcony of the Imperial Sky Hotel, everything looked perfect. Soft jazz floated through the night air, mixing with the gentle clink of champagne glasses. Cameras flashed. Guests laughed. And in the middle of it all, Eliana stood like she belonged there.
Because tonight she did.
The gala was nothing like the past years.
No heavy chandeliers or stiff old-money layouts. Eliana had chosen sleek design, soft gold lighting, and a curated guest list that included influencers, tech elites, and international press. It was modern, elegant, alive.
And the world had noticed.
“Eliana,” a woman from Vogue whispered, “you’ve brought this event back to life.”
“Thank you,” she said with a warm smile. “It was time for something new.”
Across the room, Desmond watched her from the base of the staircase, dressed in a fitted midnight tuxedo. His tie was loose. His gaze was sharp. And his heart beat a little faster every time her laughter danced across the marble floor.
She was shining.
And he couldn’t look away.
The press called them a power couple.
But Eliana didn’t care about the title.
She cared about the mission.
The charity gala’s focus this year was on underfunded youth programs her idea. She’d chosen a foundation that supported orphans and street children. The irony wasn’t lost on her. She was, after all, a girl who grew up with nothing but scraps and silence.
And now?
Now she stood in a ballroom full of people in diamonds and silk, commanding attention without begging for it.
Her dress was emerald green bold and unforgettable. It hugged her curves and left her shoulders bare. Her curls cascaded down her back, kissed with gold pins. Every inch of her radiated confidence.
She walked with purpose, not for Desmond, not for the guests.
For herself.
“Speech in ten minutes,” Nora whispered gently as she approached.
Eliana nodded.
She wasn’t nervous.
She had practiced.
Prepared.
Planned.
But as she made her way toward the platform at the front of the hall, something strange caught her eye.
One of the waiters.
A tall man in black. His tray was empty, but he wasn’t moving. He stood still, near the back entrance, watching her.
Just watching.
Their eyes met for a second.
He looked away.
And vanished behind the curtain.
A chill ran down her spine.
---
Desmond saw it too.
He was already moving through the crowd, weaving toward her just as she reached the small stage.
“Eliana,” he said low, catching her hand, “step down.”
“What?”
“There’s a man watching you. Not press. Not staff.”
“I saw him,” she said quietly.
“We can cancel the speech.”
“No.” She squeezed his hand. “That’s what they want. For me to flinch.”
Desmond hesitated, then nodded. “I’ll be right here.”
She stepped onto the stage with the poise of a queen.
The lights dimmed.
The spotlight hit her.
“Good evening,” she began, voice smooth and steady. “Some of you know me as Desmond King’s wife. Others may think of me as the woman who changed the color of this gala.”
Soft laughter.
She smiled.
“But before all that, I was just a girl in an overcrowded orphanage. I didn’t wear silk. I didn’t eat well. I didn’t dream of galas. I just wanted safety.”
The room fell quiet.
“I was one of the forgotten. Tonight, we’re raising money for kids like me—kids who don’t want your pity. They want your help.”
Applause erupted.
Eliana scanned the room.
But the man was gone.
Her heartbeat eased.
She continued. “Thank you for showing up for them. For all the quiet, hungry children who just need someone to believe in their worth.”
Another wave of applause. Stronger this time.
She stepped down.
Desmond reached for her hand again, his grip steady.
“You were brilliant,” he said, low in her ear.
“Did you see him?”
“No. I’ve got security sweeping now.
As the night unfolded, money poured in. The donation meter climbed. The press gushed. Desmond’s investors were impressed. For once, no one questioned Eliana’s place beside him.
Until the lights suddenly flickered.
Once.
Twice.
Then they went black.
Gasps filled the ballroom.
The music died.
The screen behind the stage went fuzzy.
Then clear.
A grainy video started playing.
Desmond’s voice.
“You think I care about her feelings?”
The crowd stilled.
On the screen, Desmond’s face appeared. He was sitting in what looked like his study, speaking into a phone.
“She’s a pawn. Just a way to keep the board off my back.”
Eliana’s heart dropped.
Gasps turned into murmurs. People began recording. Flashes lit the room.
“What is this?” someone whispered.
Desmond stood frozen.
Eliana didn’t look at him.
She turned instead toward the crowd.
And stepped forward.
The screen went black.
The lights flickered back on.
Silence.
Eliana cleared her throat.
“I’m not going to insult your intelligence and pretend that didn’t just happen,” she said.
The crowd leaned in.
“But I will tell you this what you saw was taken out of context, and it’s old. Very old.”
Desmond looked at her, stunned.
She didn’t flinch.
“Marriage is complicated,” she continued. “Especially when it starts with strategy instead of love. I didn’t walk into this thinking it would be easy. Or clean. But what matters now isn’t how we started it’s what we’ve built since.”
More murmurs.
Still recording.
Eliana’s voice rose.
“I am not a pawn. And if anyone here still thinks I’m a victim in a silk dress then you haven’t been paying attention.”
The applause came slow.
Then stronger.
Then loud.
She turned to Desmond, eyes locked.
“Do you have anything to say?” she asked.
He stepped up beside her, straightened his jacket, and met the crowd head-on.
“That video was real,” he said. “And shameful. It was from a time when I didn’t understand what I had.”
He looked at Eliana now.
“I was wrong. About her. About this.”
The room held its breath.
“I used to think power was about control,” he said. “Now I know it’s about trust. And no one in this room deserves your respect more than Eliana.”
The crowd exploded in applause.
This time, no one whispered.
This time, no one looked away.
Backstage, Eliana finally let herself breathe.
Desmond followed.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
“No,” she said honestly. “But I will be.”
He reached for her hand again. “I didn’t know that recording still existed.”
“I believe you.”
She looked up at him.
“I covered for you tonight,” she said. “Because I’ve seen the man you’re trying to become.”
“You didn’t have to.”
“Yes, I did. Because I’m not here to save you. I’m here to stand beside you. And that means knowing everything including the worst parts.”
Desmond cupped her face. “I don’t deserve you.”
“Then earn me.”
He kissed her then soft, slow, filled with every word he couldn’t say.
And when they pulled apart, Eliana whispered, “They tried to humiliate us tonight.”
Desmond’s eyes turned cold. “And now they’ve declared war.”
- Writer
