Damien Vance did not waste a single second.
Damien Vance walked quickly across the cold floor of the private security room.
Damien Vance reached into his pocket and pulled out a sharp silver pocket knife.
Damien Vance handed the sharp pocket knife directly to Leo Chang.
Damien Vance said to Leo Chang, “Cut the yellow ropes right now, Leo.
We must help Mark Davis immediately.”
Leo Chang replied to Damien Vance, “Yes, Mr.
Vance.
I am cutting the ropes right away.”
Leo Chang moved his strong hands quickly.
The sharp silver blade sliced through the thick yellow ropes with a clean sound.
The heavy ropes fell to the floor in a messy pile.
Mark Davis opened his eyes slowly.
Mark Davis rubbed his aching neck with both of his hands.
Mark Davis winced in pain as his fingers touched the wet red blood on his forehead.
Evelyn Vance walked over to a small cabinet in the corner of the security room.
Evelyn Vance found a clean white towel inside the cabinet.
Evelyn Vance walked back to Mark Davis and gently pressed the clean white towel against the deep cut on his forehead to stop the bleeding.
Damien Vance looked down at Mark Davis with sharp, intense eyes.
Damien Vance asked Mark Davis, “Mark, what happened inside this room?
How did Julian Sterling’s thugs get past my advanced security system?”
Mark Davis took a deep breath.
His voice shook slightly from deep exhaustion.
Mark Davis said to Damien Vance, “I am very sorry, Mr.
Vance.
It happened twenty minutes ago.
Julian Sterling did not send his men inside the house.
Julian Sterling used a massive, military-grade electronic signal jammer from a vehicle parked outside our perimeter wall.
The electronic signal jammer completely cut our external camera feeds.
When the monitors turned to grey static, a masked man crept in through the back kitchen door.
He struck my head from behind with a heavy metal bar before I could press the main panic button.”
Leo Chang looked at the central computer monitor.
The bright red digital letters from Julian Sterling were still flashing quickly on the black screen.
Leo Chang said to Damien Vance, “Mr.
Vance, this mansion is no longer perfectly safe.
Julian Sterling knows our exact location.
Julian Sterling knows our security weaknesses.
We must move you and Mrs.
Vance to a secret underground bunker outside the city immediately.”
Evelyn Vance felt a sudden wave of fear hit her stomach.
Evelyn Vance looked at her husband, Damien Vance.
She expected the billionaire to look worried.
She expected him to agree with Leo Chang’s safe plan.
But Damien Vance did not look worried at all.
Damien Vance looked up at the flashing red letters on the screen.
A cold, dark, and dangerous smile appeared on his handsome face.
Damien Vance said to Leo Chang, “No, Leo.
We are not going to hide in a dark underground bunker like scared animals.
Julian Sterling wants us to cower in fear inside this house.
Julian Sterling thinks his scary messages will make me run away from the city.
He is completely wrong.”
Damien Vance turned his body and looked directly at Evelyn Vance.
Damien Vance said to Evelyn Vance, “Tonight is the grand Vance Enterprises Corporate Gala at the luxury Royal Crystal Hotel.
The entire multi-billion dollar business world of the city will be inside that grand ballroom.
The international media will be there.
Julian Sterling will be there.
Tonight, you will walk into that grand ballroom arm-in-arm with me.
You will walk in as the supreme queen of Vance Enterprises.”
Evelyn Vance looked at the broken pieces of the fake sapphire necklace on the desk downstairs in her mind.
Evelyn Vance remembered the scars on Damien Vance’s shoulder.
Evelyn Vance felt a new, powerful strength rise up inside her heart.
Evelyn Vance said to Damien Vance, “I am ready to fight by your side, Damien.
I am not afraid of Julian Sterling anymore.”
The TransformationAt exactly four o’clock in the afternoon, the quiet Vance mansion became incredibly busy.
Damien Vance called the top fashion designers and elite stylists of the city directly to his private estate.
Three large white delivery vans parked on the stone driveway.
Six professional stylists rushed into the grand entrance hall.
The stylists carried long rolling racks filled with dozens of expensive luxury dresses, diamond-encrusted shoes, and boxes of rare gold jewelry.
Damien Vance stood at the bottom of the marble staircase.
Damien Vance looked at the head stylist, Madame Celine.
Damien Vance said to Madame Celine, “Dress my wife in the finest clothes in the city.
She must look completely untouchable tonight.”
Madame Celine bowed her head with great respect.
Madame Celine said, “It will be my absolute honor, Mr.
Vance.”
For two full hours, Evelyn Vance stayed inside the grand dressing room.
The stylists combed her long dark hair into elegant, soft waves.
The makeup artists enhanced her natural beauty, making her pale skin look radiant and flawless.
Finally, the large double doors of the dressing room opened wide.
Evelyn Vance stepped out into the hallway.
Evelyn Vance wore a flawless, custom-made dark crimson silk gown.
The expensive fabric flowed beautifully down to her ankles, moving like liquid fire with every step she took.
The dress had an elegant high collar that covered her neck completely, but the tailoring was incredibly sharp and royal.
Around her neck, the stylists placed a stunning platinum choker completely encrusted with hundreds of tiny, sparkling white diamonds.
On her feet, she wore matching crimson silk high heels.
Evelyn Vance walked slowly down the wide curved marble staircase.
Damien Vance stood at the bottom of the stairs, waiting for his wife.
Damien Vance wore a perfectly tailored black tuxedo with a crisp white shirt.
Around his neck, Damien Vance wore a silk tie that matched the exact dark crimson color of Evelyn’s grand gown.
They looked like a unified power couple ready for a royal war.
Damien Vance looked up at Evelyn Vance as she descended the marble stairs.
His dark eyes widened slightly in pure admiration.
Damien Vance said to Evelyn Vance, “You look absolutely magnificent, Evelyn Vance.”
Evelyn Vance smiled gently, her confidence shining brightly.
Evelyn Vance said, “Thank you, Damien.
Let us go win this war.”
The Grand BallroomAt exactly eight o’clock in the evening, the long black limousine stopped smoothly in front of the grand entrance of the Royal Crystal Hotel.
The entire front entrance of the hotel was lined with heavy velvet ropes and strong security guards.
Outside the velvet ropes, hundreds of media reporters, journalists, and paparazzi photographers stood in tight crowds.
The moment the long black limousine stopped, the reporters began to shout wildly.
Click-click-click-click!
The rapid sound of hundreds of media cameras echoed through the night air.
Bright white camera flashes lit up the dark sky like artificial lightning.
The reporters were shouting loud questions about the viral rumors of Evelyn Ross’s kidnapping from the morning.
Leo Chang stepped out of the front seat and opened the heavy back door of the limousine.
Damien Vance stepped out onto the red carpet first.
Damien Vance turned around and reached out his big hand to his wife.
Evelyn Vance placed her slim hand into his strong grip.
Evelyn Vance stepped out of the black limousine into the bright flashing lights.
The crowd of reporters gasped loudly.
Evelyn Vance held Damien Vance’s strong arm tightly.
They walked up the grand steps of the hotel together with calm, confident steps.
They ignored the shouting voices of the media.
Two security guards pulled open the massive golden doors of the grand ballroom.
Damien Vance and Evelyn Vance walked into the crowded room.
The grand ballroom was spectacular.
Massive crystal chandeliers hung from the high gold ceiling.
More than five hundred wealthy guests, elite billionaires, and high-society politicians stood across the polished marble floor, drinking expensive champagne.
The moment Damien Vance and Evelyn Vance stepped into the center of the room, the classical orchestra stopped playing music instantly.
A sudden, heavy, and shocking silence fell over the entire grand ballroom.
The wealthy guests turned their heads to look at the new arrivals.
The guests began to whisper to each other rapidly.
“Look over there!
That is Evelyn Ross!
She is not dead, and she is not a hostage!”
“Look at her dress!
She is wearing the official crimson colors of the Vance family!”
“Look at the massive diamond ring on her left hand!
Are they married?”
Evelyn Vance kept her head held high.
She felt the powerful gaze of the entire room, but she did not tremble.
She walked right next to her husband like a true queen.
Suddenly, a slow, loud, and mocking sound of hands clapping echoed from the upper level of the ballroom.
Clap…
clap…
clap…
The five hundred guests became completely silent.
Everyone looked up toward the grand VIP balcony on the second floor.
Julian Sterling stood at the edge of the gold balcony railing.
Julian Sterling wore a sharp grey tuxedo.
He held a silver microphone in his right hand.
Julian Sterling had a cruel, confident smile on his face as he looked down at Damien Vance and Evelyn Vance.
Julian Sterling spoke directly into the silver microphone.
His dark, mocking voice echoed loudly through the large speakers of the ballroom.
Julian Sterling said, “Welcome to the gala, Mr.
and Mrs.
Vance.
What a beautiful, touching show of unity.
You both look absolutely wonderful in your matching crimson clothes.”
Julian Sterling paused for a moment.
His cruel smile grew much wider and much more dangerous.
Julian Sterling continued speaking into the microphone, “But before this grand high-society crowd celebrates your beautiful new marriage today, I have a very special guest who wants to speak to the audience.
A guest who claims that your brand-new marriage is completely, totally illegal.”
Evelyn Vance felt her breath catch in her throat.
Julian Sterling turned his body toward the shadows of the VIP balcony.
Julian Sterling waved his left hand.
Evelyn Vance’s greedy stepfather, Richard Ross, stepped out from the dark shadows of the balcony.
Richard Ross no longer looked messy like he did at the mansion gates.
Richard Ross wore a brand-new black suit.
In his right hand, Richard Ross held up a thick legal document with a large official gold seal at the bottom.
Richard Ross shouted into a second microphone, “That woman is not legally a Vance!
I filed an official emergency court injunction two hours ago!
Damien Vance is a criminal, and his marriage certificate is a fraud!”
The entire grand ballroom exploded into massive, chaotic shouting.
Evelyn Vance looked up at her stepfather in deep horror, while Damien Vance’s eyes locked onto Julian Sterling with a deadly glare.