Chapter 10 - The Gala of Truth
Six months later, the annual Boston Business & Philanthropy Gala was held at the historic Plaza Hotel—the most exclusive social event of the year, attended by political leaders, corporate titans, and the city’s high-society elite.
In previous years, Rockford and Evelyn Jones had spent tens of thousands of dollars to secure a table near the stage, while Adelaide was left at home to monitor the house security system and balance the event’s domestic expense ledgers.
Tonight, the dynamic was vastly different.
The grand ballroom glittered under massive crystal chandeliers, filled with hundreds of guests in tuxedos and evening gowns.
Near the back of the room, standing near the catering staff entrance, were Evelyn and Chloe Jones. Evelyn was wearing a simple, off-the-rack black dress, working as a paid coordinator assistant for the catering agency to meet her court-ordered community service requirements. Chloe stood beside her, looking pale, tired, and dressed in plain clothes, having been forced to take an entry-level clerical job to pay off her restitution fines.
"I can't believe we're here doing this," Chloe whined under her breath, wiping down a tray of champagne glasses. "It’s humiliating. Half the people in this room used to come to our summer house in Martha’s Vineyard!"
"Keep your head down and keep wiping," Evelyn hissed nervously, her hands shaking as she arranged the napkins. "If the supervisor sees us standing around, she’ll report us to the probation officer."
Suddenly, the brass doors of the main ballroom opened, and a quiet wave of murmurs rippled through the high-society crowd.
The master of ceremonies stepped up to the microphone on the central stage.
"Ladies and gentlemen," the speaker announced loudly, "please welcome the evening’s keynote benefactors and owners of A.V. Moretti Holdings—Mr. Mateo Moretti and Mrs. Adelaide Moretti!"
Evelyn and Chloe froze, their heads snapping toward the grand staircase.
Walking down the stairs into the center of the ballroom were Mateo and Adelaide.
Adelaide was magnificent. She wore a striking, floor-length midnight-blue velvet gown with an open back and a high, elegant collar that framed her face perfectly. Her dark brown hair was styled in a breathtaking, sophisticated updraft, and on her left hand, the black diamond ring sparkled brilliantly under the ballroom lights. Her glasses were gone, replaced by soft, glowing dark eyes that held an unmistakable air of total confidence, power, and serene beauty.
Mateo walked beside her, his hand resting proudly on the small of her back, looking at her with an open, fierce devotion that made every woman in the room turn with envy.
The entire ballroom erupted into loud, enthusiastic applause as the city’s elite stepped forward to greet the most powerful couple in Boston.
Evelyn stared at her stepdaughter from across the room, her breath catching in her throat. She saw the way politicians bowed their heads to Adelaide, the way high-society women sought her approval, and the way Mateo Moretti looked at her as if she were the center of his universe.
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Chloe dropped her wiping cloth onto the floor, tears of bitter, helpless jealousy filling her eyes. "She took everything..." Chloe whispered.
"No," Evelyn said, her voice hollow and entirely broken as she finally realized the bitter truth. "She didn't take anything. We threw her away... and she became the queen of everything we ever wanted."
