Chapter 10 - The Stolen Heritage
Before Lily could process the shocking revelation about her father's murder, a sudden commotion erupted inside the ballroom.
Screams and gasps echoed through the open terrace doors.
Lily and Arthur rushed back inside to find a horrifying scene. The massive, twenty-foot floral archway above the VIP stage—the centerpiece of the entire gala—was rapidly turning black. The white rose petals were curling into brown ash, melting like toxic wax and releasing a foul, acidic smoke that filled the room.
"What is the meaning of this?!" Jonathan Sterling, Victoria’s father, roared from the front row, playing the part of the outraged patron for the television cameras. "Arthur Vance has brought a fraud off the streets! She used toxic chemicals in these decorations! She’s trying to poison the donors!"
Victoria stepped forward, a triumphant, wicked smirk playing on her lips. "I warned you, Arthur! She’s an unqualified peasant who probably bought cheap, diseased flowers from the black market! Security, remove this girl immediately!"
Julian Cross stepped up beside the board members, raising his voice so the entire press corps could hear. "This is gross negligence! I demand an immediate emergency board vote to remove Arthur Vance as CEO for reckless endangerment of our shareholders!"
Lily stood frozen as hundreds of accusatory eyes glared at her. The whispers were deafening.
“Street trash.”
“She ruined the event.”
“Arrest her!”
For five seconds, the old terror of the freezing pavement threatened to drag Lily under. But then, she looked at the melting flowers. She smelled the sharp, unmistakable stench of industrial herbicide.
She had spent ten years working in the wholesale flower markets. She knew every chemical, every pesticide, and every fertilizer known to agriculture.
Lily didn't cower. She stepped onto the stage, right in front of the flashing cameras.
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"That is not disease," Lily announced, her voice ringing clear, sharp, and authoritative across the silent hall. "That is Tri-Chlor 9, a specialized chemical defoliant that is only used in industrial agriculture—and it requires a state-level commercial license to purchase."
She turned her piercing gaze straight toward Julian Cross. "And if I’m not mistaken, Vance Global’s agricultural subsidiary purchased five barrels of Tri-Chlor 9 yesterday afternoon, signed for personally by our Chief Financial Officer, Mr. Julian Cross."
