Chapter 2: The Man Behind the Setup
The police arrived eleven minutes later.
By then, Marcus had transformed the ballroom into something resembling a press conference.
Kayla sat on a velvet sofa surrounded by two women who kept offering her tissues.
Marcus stood beside her, speaking quietly with a uniformed officer.
I remained near the entrance with Emily, holding a folded napkin against my bleeding lip.
Oliver and his grandmother stood several feet away.
The officer approached.
"Mr. Hayes?""
"Yes.""
"I'm Officer Collins. I understand there was an altercation.""
"There was an assault.""
Marcus turned immediately.
"Officer, my daughter is the victim.""
Officer Collins glanced at him.
"Mr. Reed, I'll speak with everyone separately.""
"My daughter is very upset.""
"I understand.""
"She has already explained what happened.""
The officer opened his notebook.
"And I'll take her statement. But I need to hear from the other people involved as well.""
Marcus looked displeased.
Then he stepped aside.
I appreciated that the officer at least appeared interested in hearing both sides.
"Tell me what happened," he said.
I started from the moment Kayla bumped into me.
I explained the spilled water, the slap, the torn clothing, and the way she threw herself onto the floor.
Officer Collins listened without interrupting.
When I finished, he glanced at my face.
"Did Mr. Reed strike you?""
"Yes.""
"Did you strike him back?""
"No.""
"Did you touch his daughter at any point?""
"No.""
Emily stepped forward.
"I witnessed the whole thing.""
Officer Collins nodded.
"All right. I'll need your statement as well.""
Marcus approached again.
"Officer, I don't want to waste your time. This man is clearly trying to turn things around.""
Officer Collins closed his notebook.
"Sir, I'm not finished.""
Marcus's nostrils flared.
"Do you know who I am?""
The officer looked at him.
"Yes, Mr. Reed. You're the person standing in front of me while I'm trying to conduct an investigation.""
A couple of guests exchanged surprised glances.
Marcus stepped backward.
I almost smiled.
Then Officer Collins turned toward Oliver.
"And you said you recorded something?""
Oliver nodded.
"My phone has the video.""
"Can I see it?""
Margaret stepped forward.
"Officer, before we show anything, I'd like to make sure the original recording is preserved.""
"That's reasonable.""
Oliver opened his gallery.
He selected the video.
The ballroom grew quiet as the footage played.
First came Kayla approaching me.
Then the collision.
Then the slap.
The sound of her palm striking her own cheek was unmistakable.
A few guests gasped.
The video continued.
Kayla grabbed her clothing and ripped the seam.
Then she dropped to the floor.
Her voice echoed through the phone speaker.
"He attacked me!""
Officer Collins watched without moving.
When the clip ended, he asked Oliver to replay it.
Marcus stepped forward.
"That video is misleading.""
Officer Collins raised a hand.
"Let me finish reviewing it.""
"It's a short recording. You don't know what happened before.""
Oliver shook his head.
"I recorded her before she walked over to Mr. Daniel.""
Marcus turned.
"What?""
Oliver looked toward his grandmother.
Margaret nodded.
"Show him the earlier footage.""
The boy swiped backward.
The next video began several minutes before the confrontation.
Kayla was standing near a decorative pillar with the man in the gray suit.
She was holding a champagne glass.
The man leaned toward her.
"Are you sure that's him?"" he asked.
Kayla nodded.
"Yes. Emily's brother. Daniel Hayes.""
The man glanced across the room.
"What if he doesn't react?""
Kayla laughed.
"He will. People like him always react when someone humiliates them.""
The man frowned.
"And your father?""
"Leave Dad to me.""
The video continued.
Kayla leaned closer and whispered something.
The microphone picked up only part of it.
"...make it look convincing. Once he hits the floor, Dad won't ask questions.""
The man nodded.
"Then don't mess it up.""
The video ended.
For several seconds, nobody spoke.
Officer Collins looked directly at Kayla.
"Miss Reed, do you recognize the individual in this recording?""
Kayla's lips parted.
"That's edited.""
"Is it?""
"Yes!""
Oliver looked confused.
"But I didn't edit it.""
Marcus stepped between his daughter and the officer.
"Officer, this is ridiculous. A child's phone recording is not enough to establish anything.""
Margaret calmly replied.
"Nobody said it was enough to establish everything. It's enough to justify further investigation.""
Officer Collins nodded.
"That's correct.""
He turned to Kayla.
"Miss Reed, I need you to come with me so we can take a formal statement.""
Kayla immediately grabbed her father's arm.
"Dad?""
Marcus placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Don't worry. I'll handle this.""
Then he turned toward the officer.
"My attorney will be here in five minutes.""
Officer Collins didn't react.
"That's fine. But I'd still like to speak with her.""
Marcus looked at me.
His eyes carried a promise of revenge.
"You have no idea what you've just started.""
I wiped the blood from my lip.
"Actually, I think I'm beginning to understand.""
He leaned closer.
"People who challenge my family tend to regret it.""
Margaret heard him.
"So do people who believe money makes them untouchable.""
Marcus walked away.
For the next twenty minutes, the officer interviewed guests and collected contact information.
Emily gave her statement.
Margaret provided Oliver's details.
The hotel manager was asked to preserve the surveillance footage.
But when Officer Collins requested access to the ballroom camera system, the manager looked uncomfortable.
"There's a problem.""
"What problem?"" the officer asked.
"The system was disconnected shortly after the incident.""
"By whom?""
The manager hesitated.
"Mr. Reed's event coordinator requested it.""
Officer Collins looked toward Marcus.
He was standing near the bar, speaking on his phone.
"Do you have a record of that request?""
"Yes. It was entered into the hotel system.""
"Then preserve it.""
The manager nodded.
Marcus ended his call and approached us.
"Officer, my legal team is arriving. I expect this situation to be handled discreetly.""
Officer Collins looked up.
"That depends on the evidence.""
Marcus smiled without warmth.
"Evidence can be interpreted in many ways.""
"Not when it's clear.""
The billionaire's smile disappeared.
A few minutes later, a tall man in a charcoal suit entered the ballroom.
He was in his early forties, clean-shaven, with dark hair and a silver watch.
Kayla immediately moved toward him.
"Adrian!""
The man placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Are you all right?""
She nodded.
Then she whispered something into his ear.
He looked directly at me.
And I recognized him.
Not from the charity gala.
From a photograph Emily had shown me three days earlier.
He was Adrian Cole, executive director of the Reed Foundation.
He had been the person who approved funding for the children's clinic.
He was also the man who had appeared in Oliver's video.
"That's him," Oliver whispered.
Margaret nodded.
"Yes, sweetheart.""
Officer Collins approached Adrian.
"Mr. Cole, I'd like to ask you a few questions.""
Adrian adjusted his jacket.
"Of course.""
"Do you know Miss Reed?""
"Naturally. I've worked with her family for years.""
"And were you speaking with her before the incident?""
Adrian looked toward Kayla.
"Briefly.""
"About what?""
"Nothing important.""
Oliver stepped forward.
"You told her not to mess it up.""
Adrian's expression changed.
"I'm sorry?""
"I heard you.""
The man gave a short laugh.
"Young man, you must have misunderstood.""
Oliver shook his head.
"I didn't.""
Adrian turned to Officer Collins.
"I think this is becoming absurd.""
Then he looked at me.
"Daniel Hayes, correct?""
"Yes.""
"I've heard about you.""
I frowned.
"From whom?""
He smiled.
"People talk.""
"What people?""
He didn't answer.
Instead, he turned toward Emily.
"How's the clinic doing, by the way?""
Emily stiffened.
"Why are you asking?""
"Just making conversation.""
"Then make it somewhere else.""
His smile faded.
Officer Collins stepped between us.
"Mr. Cole, I'd like you to remain available for additional questions.""
"Certainly.""
But as he walked away, he stopped beside Marcus.
The two men exchanged a brief glance.
Marcus whispered something.
Adrian nodded.
Then they separated.
I watched them carefully.
There was something practiced about the way they moved around each other.
Like two men who had already discussed what to say if things went wrong.
Emily sat beside me.
"Daniel, we need to leave.""
"Not yet.""
"You're bleeding.""
"I'm waiting for the ambulance.""
She looked at my jaw.
"You're going to the hospital.""
"Fine.""
She lowered her voice.
"There's something I haven't told you.""
I turned toward her.
"What?""
"Three days ago, Adrian Cole called the clinic.""
"Why?""
"He asked me questions about you.""
My stomach tightened.
"About me?""
"Yes. He wanted to know where you worked, whether you were married, whether you had any previous legal problems.""
I stared at her.
"Why would he care?""
"I thought it was strange. I asked him, and he said he was conducting a routine background check on volunteers' family members.""
"That's ridiculous.""
"I know.""
She reached into her handbag and pulled out her phone.
"Then yesterday, I received this.""
She showed me a text message.
It was from an unknown number.
Tell your brother not to attend the gala. It would be better for everyone.
I read it twice.
"Why didn't you tell me?""
"Because I thought it was some stupid prank.""
I looked across the ballroom.
Marcus was standing near the exit.
Adrian was beside him.
And Kayla was watching us.
Her eyes met mine.
She didn't look frightened anymore.
She looked annoyed.
As though the evening hadn't gone according to plan.
I turned back to Emily.
"Something is going on.""
She nodded.
"Daniel, I think this was never about you accidentally upsetting Kayla.""
Before I could respond, my phone vibrated.
An unknown number.
One message.
You should have stayed away from the Reed Foundation. Your sister doesn't know what she's involved in.
I stared at the screen.
Then another message arrived.
This one contained a photograph.
It showed the children's clinic.
May you like
And standing outside the building was Emily.
Someone had taken the picture that afternoon.
