Hazel's POV
"Ask Gerald Chambers why he waited twelve years to say so publicly, instead of asking me to defend a silence that was never mine to keep," I said, my voice carrying clean across the stunned theater.
The room went utterly still, every donor and dancer and reporter turning to watch how I would answer a question clearly designed to unravel the entire evening.
The journalist, undeterred, stepped closer to the stage. "So you are not denying the accusation."
"I am telling you that this stage was built to celebrate resilience, not to referee a decade old business dispute between two men who are not standing here tonight," I said. "If Gerald Chambers wants to discuss his grievances with the Daniel family, he is welcome to schedule an appointment. Tonight belongs to these artists."
