Chapter 4: The Live Feed
Chapter 4: The Live Feed
With the police neutralized outside, the reality of the lockdown set in. The elite guests of the Hawthorne Museum were reduced to terrified hostages, sitting on velvet benches or pacing the marble floors.
Mara stood at the center of the gallery. She motioned to her head of security.
"Activate the live stream."
A small red light blinked on the main camera positioned above the central archway.
"What are you doing?" Grant asked, his voice trembling. He was still on his knees, his tailored suit wrinkled and stained.
"You like an audience, Grant," Mara said, crouching down to meet his eye level. "You wanted everyone to watch you put me in my place. So, I'm giving you an audience."
She stood up and looked directly into the camera.
"Good evening. My name is Mara Vale. I am the owner of the Hawthorne Museum. If you are watching this, it is because this broadcast is currently overriding the signal of every major news network on the East Coast."
The politicians in the room covered their faces. The billionaires turned their backs to the camera. They were trapped in a fishbowl, broadcasted to millions.
"Behind me is Grant Holloway," Mara continued, pointing flawlessly at the kneeling man. "Thirty minutes ago, he assaulted me. He did it in front of sixty witnesses, none of whom intervened. But this isn't just about a bruised cheek."
She pressed a button on her remote. The massive screens behind her shifted again, displaying complex financial ledgers.
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"This is about how the Holloway family has stolen hundreds of millions from municipal pension funds, utilizing the silence of the very people in this room."
The world was watching. And Grant Holloway was center stage.
