On June 14th, Victoria would walk into a ballroom expecting applause.
She didn’t know she was walking into a courtroom dressed as a party.
And I would be waiting for her in the light.
Part 5
The Belmont Charleston Place Hotel glittered like it always did—crystal chandeliers, polished marble floors, the kind of elegance that made people stand a little straighter just to fit into it.
The Lowcountry Bar Association gala was an annual performance of influence. Judges, attorneys, donors, and their spouses moved through the ballroom like they were born in formalwear. The air smelled like perfume and expensive wine. Conversations were soft, but every word carried weight.
Victoria loved nights like this.
She arrived in a champagne-colored gown that looked like it had been poured onto her body, hair styled in perfect waves. Paige trailed behind her, wearing something sleek and black, already scanning the room for people who mattered.
My father walked in with me.
He insisted on it.
He wore a classic tux, but his expression was grim, jaw set in a way I’d never seen when I was younger. He looked like a man who’d finally found his spine and was afraid to lose it again.
I wore a simple navy dress. Nothing flashy. Nothing that said I wanted attention. I wanted credibility. I wanted to look like what I was: a woman bringing facts to a room built on reputation.
Marcus and Patricia were already inside, moving quietly through the crowd. Dela Fairchild stood near the back, notepad tucked into a clutch, eyes bright with professional focus. Helen Briggs sat at a table near the aisle, posture straight, face composed.
Onstage, the evening’s host—an upbeat attorney with a microphone—cracked jokes about summer humidity and billable hours. People laughed politely, the way they always do when they’re supposed to.
Victoria smiled like the night belonged to her.
She’d been nominated for “Philanthropist of the Year” for her work with the Hail-Beckett Foundation. She’d been telling everyone for weeks how honored she was, how grateful, how “humbled.”
I watched her mingle, touching arms, laughing softly, making people feel like she was listening deeply even when I knew she wasn’t hearing a word.
Paige spotted me across the room and stiffened.
Victoria followed her gaze.