Chapter 7 Fire and Deception

"The dress is ruined. Shouldn't you pay for it? Are you going to compensate Ella?" Valentin chimed in, echoing Daron's words.

Judith felt humiliated.

"Austin, I..." she began, her voice desperate.

Austin stepped forward, shielding her. "I'll have my assistant transfer the money to her."

Ella let out a soft, almost self-mocking laugh. So he truly didn't remember giving her the dress.

"It doesn't matter anymore," she said in a low voice.

After all, it had been his dress to begin with. She would consider the debt between them settled.

Ella turned to Daron, her expression calm and composed. "Mr. Bales, please don't speak that way. Whoever handles the project should be evaluated based on capability. I'm still new to this field and will need guidance from both of you."

The two men exchanged glances, a knowing look passing between them.

Meanwhile, whispers began to ripple through the crowd.

"Is it true? Judith isn't the real Brooks heiress?"

"From what Mr. Bales implied, it seems so."

"There are many people with the surname Brooks. Perhaps Mr. Bales is only familiar with the one connected to the Clark family by marriage."

"That makes sense. Mr. Clark and Mr. Bales have strong business ties. Of course, he'd recognize and defend his granddaughter."

"Still, this seems disrespectful to Judith. She's a Brooks, too, after all."

"This other woman must have powerful connections if she can stand up to Judith. The granddaughter of Gerald, no less!"

Humiliation washed over Judith, her expression turning grim. 

Her fists clenched at her sides, grinding her teeth as she felt the weight of the curious stares and murmuring laughter around her.

"Mr. Bales, Mr. Dobbins, shall we continue our discussion somewhere else?" Ella gestured politely, offering a composed smile to both men.

Austin had been watching Ella silently throughout the exchange.

It was the first time he had seen her so vibrant and confident. 

Typically, she stayed home as a dutiful wife, taking care of his daily needs. 

He had grown accustomed to her attentiveness, but now she carried herself with assertive confidence—almost like a different person.

Austin felt something stir within him that he couldn't quite name or define. 

His emotions were conflicted as he watched her walk away, an unfamiliar emptiness settled in him.

Judith caught Austin’s attention lingering on Ella. 

Feigning calm, she said, "Austin, I'm so glad you're here with me," while inwardly seething with rage, nearly grinding her teeth to dust.

Austin gave a brief grunt in response before walking away.

The crowd slowly began to disperse.

Judith remained alone, jealousy consuming her completely. She pulled out her phone and made a call.

Meanwhile, Ella stood on the balcony conversing with Daron and Valentin.

"The Prometheus Project will require substantial funding in its later stages. We typically don't send women to handle business dinners," Daron said, raising his glass toward the moonlit sky, a broad smile on his face.

Ella accepted his viewpoint with grace but firmness. "Men and women should be treated as equals. Women don't need special treatment."

Valentin let out a laugh. "Mr. Bales won't even let it get to the point of negotiating over drinks. Your grandfather wouldn't approve either. We just need your grandfather's financial backing."

"I've read about financial schemes where projects are used to siphon funds. I trust you gentlemen aren't that type?" Ella immediately understood the implication behind his words.

So that was their scheme. 

They intended to use her as a bridge to Gerald's wealth.

The scheme was completely transparent. 

Fortunately, Ella was sharp enough to see through it at once.

Daron forced an awkward smile. "I didn't expect you to understand these matters, Ella."

They had initially flattered Ella only because of her connection to Gerald, hoping to secure funding through her. 

They hadn't expected her to be so difficult to influence.

They had clearly underestimated her.

She smiled but said nothing.

"Here's the contract," Valentin said, producing a document.

Ella reviewed the contract for a moment, hesitating. "This contract isn't related to getting my grandfather to invest in the project, is it?"

"Ella, we're not con artists! Do you think we'd trick you into getting involved in a sinking ship?" Daron nearly choked on his wine in shock, his face unable to hide his panic.

Ella raised an eyebrow and continued examining the contract.

She found no major issues, though she did notice one potential vulnerability.

"Would it be possible to enhance the Prometheus Project by allowing users to create custom AI models? It would improve user experience while ensuring privacy, and could even be a breakthrough innovation on the existing framework."

Daron and Valentin had assumed Ella was just a mere ornament with no real knowledge.

Her thoughtful suggestions caught them completely off guard.

"Absolutely! I'll call the programmers right away," Daron said, immediately picking up the phone.

Her suggestion could potentially mark a major breakthrough for the Prometheus Project in AI development.

"I don't have a pen," she said, gesturing with empty hands.

"I have one!" Valentin quickly handed her his pen.

Ella accepted it and signed her name neatly at the bottom of the document.

As she focused on the page, she suddenly heard scattered screams behind her.

Her brow furrowed as she looked up and saw Daron and Valentin staring past her in alarm.

A sense of unease washed over her. 

Turning around, she saw people rushing toward them, panic spread through the ballroom as thick black smoke billowed across the floor.

"Fire!"

"My daughter! Where's my daughter?!"

"Has anyone seen my wife?"

"Help! Stop stepping on my dress!"

The crowd had fallen into chaos.

Guests were scrambling toward the balcony and exits in panic. 

The main doors were completely jammed with people, and several guests had been knocked down in the stampede.

Ella felt a sharp, searing pain.

"Ella!" Daron had already been pushed out onto the lawn beyond the balcony.

He waved urgently toward her.

Valentin was also trying to make his way back to help her.

Ella ignored the two men outside. 

She looked down and saw the source of the pain—her wrist was being tightly gripped.

Slender fingers dug into her wrist. 

Looking up, she saw Judith, her eyes red-rimmed, filled with a desperate plea.

"Help me!" Judith cried.

Before Ella could react, Judith suddenly shoved her.

Ella fell backward, quickly swallowed by the swirling crowd of panicked guests.

Her back hit the floor with a jarring impact. A numbing cold swept through her limbs, followed by a sharp, tingling pain throughout her body. She was engulfed in darkness as people trampled past her.

The noise of the crowd had not yet faded. 

Ella clutched her abdomen, curling into a ball on the floor .

To avoid being trampled, she crawled into a small triangular gap for safety.

By now, about half the guests had already evacuated the ballroom.

The fire raged on, and the massive chandelier overhead had partially collapsed. The metal chains that held the remaining portion were barely supporting the weight, making the structure dangerously unstable.

She tried to move away, but couldn't with her injured ankle.

All the while, Judith stood at a distance, watching coldly.

Until a figure emerged from the flames.