Chapter 3 - The Betrayer Among Them
Charlotte slowly turned around.
Her eyes moved across every person standing inside the hotel.
Employees.
Executives.
Guests.
Everyone suddenly looked suspicious.
"Who?"
Alexander closed the folder.
"I don't know yet."
Charlotte frowned.
"You said someone here is involved."
"I said someone connected to the betrayal is here."
He looked toward the upper floors.
"Not everyone involved works at Solmere."
Charlotte understood.
Someone powerful was hiding.
Someone protected by money.
By influence.
By fear.
Victoria suddenly interrupted.
"This is ridiculous."
Everyone looked at her.
She forced herself to smile.
"Charlotte Vale has been missing for months."
Charlotte stared at her.
"Missing?"
Victoria froze.
"You know exactly where I was?"
A mistake.
A small one.
But enough.
The room became silent.
Charlotte stepped forward.
"How would you know I was missing?"
Victoria opened her mouth.
No answer came.
Alexander looked at her.
"Interesting question."
Victoria's confidence disappeared.
"I meant everyone knew."
Charlotte smiled.
"No."
"You meant you knew."
Victoria's hands tightened.
For the first time...
The powerful socialite looked afraid.
Charlotte turned to the manager.
"Who authorized security to remove me?"
The manager hesitated.
Victoria looked at him.
A warning.
Charlotte noticed.
"Answer."
The manager lowered his head.
"Mrs. Sterling."
Charlotte nodded.
"Who gave her authority?"
Silence.
Then the manager whispered.
"Mr. Adrian Vale."
Charlotte froze.
Her uncle.
Her mother's younger brother.
The man who cried the loudest at her mother's funeral.
The man who promised:
"I will protect your inheritance."
Charlotte felt something break inside.
She had suspected many people.
But hearing his name hurt.
Because Adrian was family.
Alexander watched her reaction.
"I'm sorry."
Charlotte looked at him.
"No."
Her voice became colder.
"Don't apologize."
She looked toward the hotel elevators.
"Take me to my uncle."
But before they could move...
Every screen in the lobby suddenly turned on.
A video appeared.
Charlotte saw herself.
Entering the hotel.
Walking through the lobby.
Then another clip appeared.
Her mother.
Evelyn Vale.
Everyone gasped.
The recording was dated two days before her death.
Evelyn looked directly into the camera.
And said:
"If Charlotte is watching this..."
A pause.
"Then they failed to stop her."
Charlotte stopped breathing.
Her mother's voice continued.
"The person who betrayed me is someone we trusted."
The video glitched.
Then one final sentence appeared.
"Charlotte, don't trust your uncle."
The entire lobby exploded into whispers.
Because everyone had heard it.
May you like
Everyone had seen it.
And Adrian Vale's secret was no longer hidden.
