Chapter 6: The Woman In Red
677 Words
The grand ballroom of the Blackwood Grand Hotel fell into an uneasy silence.
Every pair of eyes shifted between Nathan Blackwood, Lena Brooks, and the glamorous woman in the crimson gown.
She was breathtaking.
Elegant.
Confident.
Dangerous.
Her ruby necklace sparkled beneath the crystal chandeliers as she tightened her grip on Nathan's arm.
Lena instinctively stepped back.
She didn't belong in this world.
Nathan calmly removed the woman's hand from his arm.
"Good evening, Vanessa Kingsley."
Vanessa's smile never reached her eyes.
"So, you still remember my name."
"You've made that difficult to forget."
She glanced at Lena from head to toe before letting out a soft laugh.
"This is your special guest?"
Nathan's expression hardened.
"Watch your tone."
Vanessa raised an eyebrow.
"I'm only curious."
She turned to Lena.
"I'm Vanessa."
"My father owns Kingsley International."
Lena smiled politely.
"It's nice to meet you."
Vanessa tilted her head.
"So... what company do you own?"
"I don't own one."
"Oh."
"Then you're a model?"
Lena shook her head.
"I work at Collins Corner Bakery."
The smile on Vanessa's face widened.
"A bakery?"
Several nearby guests exchanged amused glances.
Whispers spread through the ballroom.
"A baker?"
"How did she get invited?"
"She must be someone's charity case."
Lena lowered her eyes.
She had expected this.
Nathan hadn't.
His voice cut through the whispers.
"Lena Brooks is here because I invited her."
The room fell silent.
Vanessa laughed softly.
"Really?"
"And what makes her so... special?"
Nathan looked directly at Lena before answering.
"She once did something no billionaire in this room could ever buy."
Vanessa frowned.
"What does that mean?"
Nathan simply replied,
"It means she's my honored guest."
The whispers stopped immediately.
No one dared question him again.
---
Later that evening, the charity auction began.
Rare paintings.
Diamond jewelry.
Luxury watches.
One by one, wealthy guests competed with outrageous bids.
Lena quietly watched from her seat, feeling more out of place with every passing minute.
One bracelet sold for enough money to feed her family for years.
She couldn't understand this world.
Nathan noticed the sadness in her eyes.
He walked over carrying two glasses of sparkling water.
"You look uncomfortable."
She smiled awkwardly.
"I've never seen people spend so much money so easily."
Nathan sat beside her.
"What would you do with it?"
She didn't hesitate.
"I'd pay for my mother's heart surgery."
"I'd make sure Ethan finished university."
"And..."
She looked toward the ballroom windows.
"I'd open a bakery where hungry children never have to pay."
Nathan stared at her.
Even now...
She wasn't dreaming about luxury.
She was dreaming about helping others.
His heart quietly betrayed him.
---
The auction host stepped onto the stage.
"Ladies and gentlemen..."
"Our final item tonight is rather unusual."
A velvet box was placed on the podium.
Inside...
Lay an old silver coin engraved with a tiny wolf.
Nathan's face lost all color.
Lena gasped.
It looked exactly like hers.
The host smiled.
"This coin was donated anonymously."
"It is believed to be one of only two ever made."
Nathan slowly stood.
His grandfather, Victor Blackwood, looked equally shocked.
Nathan whispered,
"Impossible..."
Lena reached into her handbag.
Her own silver coin was gone.
She searched again.
Nothing.
Her breathing quickened.
"It can't be..."
Someone had stolen it.
Nathan turned toward her.
"What's wrong?"
"My coin..."
"It's gone."
At that very moment, Vanessa's lips curved into a faint smile.
She quietly slipped something deeper into her designer purse.
Nathan didn't notice.
Lena didn't notice.
But someone else did.
An elderly waiter standing near the stage had seen everything.
He had watched Vanessa take the coin from Lena's handbag moments earlier.
Before he could step forward...
The ballroom lights suddenly went out.
Darkness swallowed the room.
A woman's terrified scream echoed through the hotel.
When the emergency lights flickered back on...
The velvet box on the stage...
...was empty.
The silver wolf coin had disappeared.
And every eye in the ballroom turned toward the only person known to own another one.
Lena Brooks.
End of Chapter 6
By Jasmine
- Writer
