The Gala
1924 Words
The dress was a cage of silk and diamonds.
Kael’s choice.
Black, backless, so tight Ellie could barely breathe.
He stood behind her in the penthouse foyer, adjusting the necklace—a diamond choker that felt too much like the velvet one from the auction.
“Don’t slouch,” he said, his fingers brushing her spine.
She flinched.
They hadn’t touched since the revelation two nights ago.
Had barely spoken.
The air between them was a minefield of unsaid things.
“Look at me,” he said.
She turned.
His eyes were hollow. Dark circles. He hadn’t slept.
“Tonight,” he said quietly, “you are mine. You smile when I smile. You laugh when I laugh. You do not leave my side.”
“Or what?”
“Or I carry you out over my shoulder. And everyone will know exactly what you are to me.”
“What am I, Kael?”
He met her eyes.
“Mine. In every way that matters.”
The Hamilton Charity Ball was a symphony of wealth.
Crystal chandeliers. A string quartet. Champagne towers.
And eyes.
So many eyes.
Ellie held Kael’s arm, her fingers trembling.
He covered her hand with his. Squeezed.
A warning or a comfort—she couldn’t tell.
“Kael! Darling!”
A woman in silver silk glided toward them.
Victoria Vance.
Kael’s “fiancée” by arrangement—the daughter of his biggest investor.
Beautiful. Polished. Empty.
She kissed Kael’s cheek, leaving a red lipstick stain he didn’t wipe away.
“And who is this?” Victoria asked, smiling at Ellie like a snake.
“My companion,” Kael said. “Ellie.”
“Ellie… Martin?” Victoria’s smile tightened. “The one who… left?”
“The one who came back,” Kael said, his voice cold.
Victoria’s eyes flickered. “How… sentimental.”
They moved through the crowd.
Ellie heard the whispers:
“That’s the girl from the auction.”
“I heard he paid five million.”
“She looks familiar…”
“Wasn’t she his college sweetheart?”
“The one who ruined him?”
Kael’s hand tightened on her waist.
“Ignore them,” he murmured.
“Easy for you to say.”
“Nothing about this is easy for me.”
A server offered champagne.
Kael took two glasses, handed her one.
“To surviving,” he said, clinking his glass against hers.
“Is that what we’re doing?”
“It’s all we can do.”
The ballroom reminded her of another party.
College. End of senior year.
Kael in a cheap suit, her in a thrift-store dress.
They’d sneaked in, laughing.
He’d pulled her onto a balcony, under fairy lights.
“Marry me,” he’d said, not joking.
“We’re broke.”
“I’ll be rich. I promise.”
“And if you’re not?”
“Then we’ll be broke together.”
He’d kissed her.
She’d believed him.
Two months later, she left.
“Ellie?”
A man’s voice, hesitant.
She turned.
David.
Kael’s old roommate.
The one who’d introduced them.
“My God,” David said, staring. “It is you.”
Kael stepped between them. “David.”
“Kael. I… I heard rumors but…” David looked at Ellie, his face pale. “I thought you were dead.”
Ellie forced a smile. “Not dead.”
“Then where have you been?”
“Away.”
“Why?”
“That’s enough,” Kael said, his voice sharp.
David ignored him, leaning closer to Ellie. “I heard you were paid to leave him. Is it true?”
The room went quiet.
Or maybe it was just her ears ringing.
Kael’s hand on her arm was vice-like.
“David,” Kael said, deadly quiet. “Walk away.”
“I just want to know,” David said, louder now. Others were watching. “Did you take Thorne’s money? Did you sell him out?”
Ellie’s mouth went dry.
Kael stepped forward, getting in David’s face.
“One more word,” Kael whispered, “and I will ruin you.”
“You already are ruined,” David said, looking at Ellie. “She did it.”
Victoria appeared, slipping her arm through Kael’s.
“Darling, the mayor is asking for you.”
Kael didn’t move.
“Kael,” Victoria said softly. “Not here. Not now.”
He looked at Ellie.
At David.
At the watching crowd.
“Ellie,” he said. “With me.”
He took her hand, pulled her away.
David called after them: “Ask her about the miscarriage, Kael! Ask her whose it was!”
Kael froze.
Turned.
Stared at David.
“What did you say?”
David paled. “I… heard things.”
“From who?”
David’s eyes flickered toward the balcony.
Where a man stood, watching.
Smiling.
Marcus Thorne.
Thorne looked older.
Thinner.
But his smile was the same—cruel, knowing.
He raised his glass to them.
Kael’s whole body went rigid.
“Stay here,” he said to Ellie.
“No—”
“STAY HERE.”
He marched toward Thorne.
Ellie watched, heart hammering.
Victoria appeared beside her. “You’re causing a scene.”
“I didn’t ask for this.”
“You never do, do you?” Victoria sipped her champagne. “You just take and break and leave.”
“You don’t know me.”
“I know enough. You’re the wound he won’t let heal.”
Ellie looked at her. Really looked.
Saw not jealousy, but pity.
“You love him,” Ellie said.
“I’m meant to,” Victoria said. “But you… you’re the ghost in our marriage before it even begins.”
On the balcony, Kael faced Thorne.
Ellie couldn’t hear them, but she saw Kael’s fists clenched.
Thorne just smiled.
Laughed.
Then looked past Kael—directly at Ellie.
And winked.
Kael turned, saw Thorne’s gaze, stepped between them.
Blocking Thorne’s view.
Protecting me.
Even now.
Even after everything.
David approached Ellie again. “I’m sorry,” he muttered. “Thorne… he paid me to say that.”
“What?”
“He wanted me to confront you. To make a scene. He said he’d clear my debt.”
“Why?”
“To hurt Kael. To remind him who holds the strings.”
Kael returned, face like stone.
He took Ellie’s arm, pulled her toward the exit.
“We’re leaving.”
“What did he say?”
“Nothing that matters.”
“Kael—”
“Not here.”
They moved through the crowd, ignoring stares.
Just as they reached the doors, Thorne appeared beside them.
“Leaving so soon?” he said, smiling.
Kael stepped in front of Ellie. “Touch her and I’ll kill you.”
“I don’t want to touch her,” Thorne said. “I just want to talk.” He looked past Kael to Ellie. “Does he know yet?”
Ellie stared.
“About the deal,” Thorne said softly. “The real one.”
Kael turned to her. “What deal?”
“Not here,” Ellie whispered.
“Yes here,” Thorne said. “Tell him, Ellie. Tell him what you promised me.”
“I promised you nothing!”
“You promised me him,” Thorne said, looking at Kael. “You promised you’d make sure he never succeeded. And yet…” He spread his hands. “Here he is. Billionaire. Powerful. You failed, Ellie.”
“That’s a lie,” she said, voice shaking.
“Is it?” Thorne leaned closer. “Then why are you still paying me?”
Kael looked at Ellie.
“Paying him?”
“It’s not—”
“Every month,” Thorne said cheerfully. “Five thousand dollars. For five years. That’s… let’s see… three hundred thousand dollars. For what, Ellie?”
“For silence,” she whispered.
“Ah.” Thorne smiled. “There it is.”
“Silence about what?” Kael demanded.
“About the baby,” Thorne said. “About whose it really was.”
The world stopped.
Ellie felt the floor tilt.
Kael stared at her.
“What is he talking about?”
“Nothing,” she said. “He’s lying.”
“Am I?” Thorne pulled out his phone, showed a bank statement. Transfers from Ellie’s account to his. Memo: For silence.
“You’ve been paying him,” Kael said slowly. “For five years.”
“To protect you,” Ellie said.
“From what?”
“From the truth.”
Thorne laughed. “Oh, this is rich. You still haven’t told him.”
“Told me what?” Kael’s voice was dangerously calm.
“The baby wasn’t yours, Kael,” Thorne said.
Silence.
“It was mine.”
The air left the room.
Kael looked at Ellie.
She was shaking her head, tears in her eyes.
“No,” she whispered. “That’s not true.”
“Then why pay me?” Thorne asked. “Why keep me quiet?”
“Because you threatened to tell him it was yours!” Ellie cried. “And I couldn’t let you break him!”
“So you let him think it was his?” Kael said, his voice hollow.
“It WAS yours!” Ellie turned to him, grabbing his arm. “Kael, listen to me—”
“No.” He pulled away. “I’m done listening.”
He walked away.
Through the crowd.
Out the doors.
Leaving her standing there with Thorne smiling and Victoria watching and everyone whispering.
Ellie started after him.
Thorne grabbed her arm.
“He’s gone,” he said softly. “And now you’re mine again.”
“Never.”
“You have no money. No home. No him. What will you do?”
She pulled free.
“Survive,” she said. “I’m good at that.”
She ran.
Out the doors.
Into the night.
Kael’s car was pulling away.
She chased it, heels breaking, dress tearing.
“KAEL!”
The car didn’t stop.
She returned to the ballroom, shaking.
Went to the balcony where Kael had proposed.
Stood in the same spot.
Alone.
Victoria joined her.
“He left,” Victoria said.
“I know.”
“He won’t come back.”
“I know.”
“What will you do?”
Ellie looked at the city lights.
“What I always do,” she said. “Save him.”
Her phone buzzed.
A text from an unknown number:
Anton: Your father is with me. Come alone. Or he loses more than fingers.
She stared at the message.
Then another text came through.
From Kael:
Stay where you are. I’m coming back.
But he wasn’t.
His car was gone.
And she was alone.
With Thorne inside.
With Anton waiting.
With the truth finally out.
Almost.
She typed back to Kael:
Don’t come back. I’ll fix this.
Then she deleted the message.
Sent instead:
I’m sorry. For everything.
She walked back into the ballroom.
Straight to Thorne.
“What do you want?” she asked.
He smiled.
“You. On your knees. Begging.”
“And if I do?”
“Then I’ll tell him the real truth.”
“Which is?”
Thorne leaned close, his breath foul with champagne and malice.
“That the baby was his. And I made you say it wasn’t. And you’ve been paying me ever since to keep his heart from breaking.”
He patted her cheek.
“Now kneel.”
- Writer
