Victoria: You're bluffing! My father built this company's entire investment portfolio!
Clara: He embezzled four million dollars from our charitable foundation over the last eighteen months.
Victoria: That's a complete lie! My father is an honest businessman!
Clara: The forensic auditors from the bank disagree with you.
Victoria looked frantically around the ballroom, searching for her father among the wealthy guests, but no one moved to help her.
Victoria: Someone call my lawyer! Call Arthur Vance right now!
Clara: Arthur Vance is the one who handed over your father's off-shore bank records to federal investigators.
Victoria: No... no, this isn't happening. This is a nightmare!
Clara: The nightmare is just beginning for your family, Victoria.
Clara turned to the crowd of wealthy attendees who were watching the confrontation in stunned silence.
Clara: Ladies and gentlemen, please enjoy the rest of the gala. The charity auction will resume in ten minutes.
Guest 3: Miss Montgomery, is the foundation still operating?
Clara: Every dollar stolen by the Vance family has already been covered by my personal trust fund.
The crowd erupted into quiet applause as Clara turned back toward Victoria.
Clara: Marcus, escort Miss Vance up to the executive boardroom on the twentieth floor.
Head Security: Right away, Miss Montgomery.
Victoria: Don't you touch me! I can walk by myself!
Clara: Then start walking. The federal agents don't like to be kept waiting.
Victoria held the sides of her ruined blue dress, her head bowed in shame as she walked toward the private elevators.
Clara followed close behind, her face calm and unreadable as the elevator doors slid shut behind them.
Inside the elevator, Victoria stared at her own reflection in the polished brass walls.
Victoria: You planned this, didn't you?
Clara: Planned what?
Victoria: Dressing up like a server... walking right past me with that tray...
Clara: I didn't need to plan anything, Victoria. Your own arrogance did all the work for me.
Victoria: You wanted me to hit you!
Clara: I wanted to see if the rumors about your behavior were true. You proved them right in front of two hundred witnesses.
The elevator chimed softly as it reached the twentieth floor, opening directly into the grand executive hallway.
Two federal agents in dark suits were standing outside the heavy oak doors of the boardroom.
Agent Miller: Miss Montgomery. We have secured all the digital ledgers from the primary server room.
Clara: Thank you, Agent Miller. Is Harrison Vance inside?
Agent Miller: Yes, ma'am. His legal council is present, but the evidence is overwhelming.
Victoria pushed past the guards and burst through the boardroom doors.
Victoria: Dad! Tell them this is all a mistake!