Chapter 3 — The Ghost at the Gala
1097 Words
The grand ballroom glittered beneath crystal chandeliers.
Politicians, celebrities, business tycoons, and socialites filled the luxurious charity gala hosted by Samuel Reed and his fiancée, Isabella Hart.
Two years had passed since Samantha's "death."
To the world, it had been a tragic accident.
A grieving husband.
A devastated loss.
A wealthy heiress swept away by stormy waters.
Samuel had played his role perfectly.
And tonight, he stood at the center of attention once again.
Expensive suit.
Confident smile.
A glass of champagne in his hand.
The image of success.
No one could see the monster hiding beneath.
"Everything's going perfectly," Isabella whispered proudly.
Samuel smirked.
"I told you it would."
Within months, they would be married.
The merger between their companies would make them one of the richest couples in the country.
Nothing could stop them now.
Or so Samuel thought.
---
Outside the ballroom, a sleek black car pulled up to the entrance.
A gloved hand opened the door.
A pair of black heels touched the ground.
Then another figure stepped out beside her.
Tall.
Handsome.
Protective.
Shiv.
He adjusted his suit before looking toward Samantha.
For a moment, he was speechless.
She looked nothing like the broken woman he had rescued from the ocean.
Her long black gown flowed elegantly around her.
Diamond earrings sparkled beneath the lights.
Her expression remained calm.
Cold.
Dangerously beautiful.
The innocent Samantha Reed no longer existed.
Shiv offered his arm.
"You ready?"
Samantha looked toward the ballroom entrance.
Where Samuel was laughing.
Smiling.
Living happily.
As if he had never tried to kill her.
A faint smile appeared on her lips.
"No."
Shiv frowned slightly.
Samantha's eyes darkened.
"I'm ready to destroy him."
---
Inside the ballroom, Samuel stepped onto the stage.
"Ladies and gentlemen..."
The crowd applauded politely.
He smiled confidently.
"Thank you for supporting tonight's charity event."
Flashbulbs exploded throughout the room.
Journalists eagerly photographed him.
Samuel enjoyed every second of it.
Then suddenly—
The ballroom doors opened.
The applause stopped.
Conversations died instantly.
Every eye turned toward the entrance.
A woman in black stood there.
For several seconds nobody moved.
Nobody breathed.
Because they all recognized her.
Samuel's glass slipped from his hand.
It shattered across the floor.
"No..."
His face drained of color.
The woman began walking forward slowly.
Gracefully.
Like a queen entering her kingdom.
The crowd parted automatically.
Whispers spread everywhere.
"Isn't that Samantha Reed?"
"She died..."
"How is this possible?"
"Oh my God..."
Samuel stumbled backward.
His heart pounded violently.
Impossible.
He watched her fall.
He watched her disappear into the ocean.
She couldn't be alive.
She couldn't.
Yet there she was.
Standing before him.
Very much alive.
Very much real.
And smiling.
---
The entire ballroom fell silent as Samantha stopped a few feet away from him.
"Hello, Samuel."
Her voice was calm.
Almost pleasant.
But Samuel heard the threat beneath it.
For the first time in years...
He felt fear.
Real fear.
"S-Samantha?"
A few reporters rushed closer.
"Miss Reed, where have you been?"
"Were you really alive this whole time?"
"Was your accident fake?"
Samantha ignored every question.
Her eyes never left Samuel.
"I missed you."
Samuel nearly collapsed.
Because those were the exact words Samantha had spoken on the night he tried to murder her.
And she knew it.
She remembered everything.
Every detail.
Every lie.
Every betrayal.
---
Isabella stepped forward aggressively.
"Who the hell are you?"
Samantha slowly turned toward her.
The woman who had happily shared Samuel while believing Samantha was dead.
The woman helping him spend stolen money.
The woman planning a future built upon murder.
A small smile touched Samantha's lips.
"I'm Samuel's wife."
The ballroom exploded into shocked whispers.
Isabella's face turned white.
"Wife?"
Samuel immediately grabbed Isabella's arm.
"It's complicated."
Samantha laughed softly.
"No."
She stepped closer.
"It's actually very simple."
The smile vanished from her face.
"You tried to kill me."
Silence.
Absolute silence.
The entire room froze.
Several journalists immediately began recording.
Samuel's pulse raced.
"What nonsense are you talking about?"
Samantha tilted her head slightly.
"You pushed me off a cliff."
The accusation echoed throughout the ballroom.
Every guest stared at Samuel.
Some looked horrified.
Others looked suspicious.
Samuel forced a nervous laugh.
"She's confused."
"Am I?"
Samantha reached into her purse.
Then placed a small object onto the table between them.
Samuel's stomach dropped.
A gold cufflink.
His gold cufflink.
The one he lost during the struggle on the cliff.
The same cufflink Samantha had found tangled in her clothing after the fall.
Samuel recognized it instantly.
And judging from the terror on his face...
So did everyone else.
---
Across the room, Shiv watched quietly.
His fists clenched.
He wanted to expose Samuel immediately.
Wanted him arrested.
Wanted him punished.
But Samantha asked him for one thing.
Time.
Because prison wasn't enough.
She wanted Samuel to lose everything.
The same way he had taken everything from her.
Piece by piece.
Day by day.
Until he understood exactly what despair felt like.
And Shiv trusted her.
Even when revenge frightened him.
---
Samuel suddenly grabbed Samantha's wrist.
His voice dropped dangerously low.
"What do you want?"
Samantha looked down at his hand.
Then back at him.
The coldness in her eyes made Samuel uncomfortable.
Very uncomfortable.
"You know..."
She smiled.
"When I was falling..."
Samuel froze.
"...I begged you to save me."
His grip loosened.
"And do you remember what you said?"
Samuel couldn't answer.
Because he remembered perfectly.
Every word.
Every scream.
Every tear.
Samantha stepped closer.
Close enough that only he could hear her next sentence.
"One day, Samuel..."
Her smile widened.
"...you'll be the one begging."
For the first time since Samantha's return...
Fear completely consumed him.
Not fear of exposure.
Not fear of prison.
Fear of her.
Because the woman standing before him wasn't the same woman he had tried to kill.
That Samantha would have forgiven him.
This Samantha wouldn't.
---
As the gala collapsed into chaos around them, Samantha turned away calmly.
Reporters chased after her.
Questions exploded from every direction.
But she ignored them all.
Shiv met her halfway.
Without saying a word, he offered his hand.
Samantha took it immediately.
A simple gesture.
Yet Samuel noticed it.
And something ugly twisted inside him.
Jealousy.
Possessiveness.
Anger.
How dare Shiv stand beside her?
How dare Samantha look happier with him than she ever looked with Samuel?
He watched them leave together.
And for the first time in two years...
Samuel Reed felt his perfect world beginning to crumble.
The ghost he buried had returned.
And she wasn't seeking justice.
- Writer
