THE FALL OF A KING

Security moved forward, but Victor raised a shaking hand.
âStop,â he snapped, though his voice cracked. âThis is fabricated. She forged all of this!â
But no one was convinced anymore.
An elderly woman from the fashion council stepped forward from the crowd.
âI remember her,â she said softly. âElena Maris⊠she was brilliant. She disappeared right after presenting a design that matched your first international collection.â
The room shifted.
Carmen looked at Victor directly.
âYou didnât just steal her work,â she said. âYou stole her future. And then you made sure she never got to defend herself.â
Victorâs breathing became uneven.
For the first time all night, he wasnât the most powerful person in the room.
âI gave her everything she had!â he shouted. âShe wouldâve been nothing without me!â
But his voice echoed hollowly now.
Carmen opened the final page of the envelope. A bank transfer record. A witness statement. And a confessionâsigned years ago by a former assistant who had since passed away.
The truth was undeniable.
Victor staggered backward as cameras began flashing. Guests whispered. The empire he built on silence was collapsing in real time.
But Carmen didnât smile.
She wasnât there for revenge.
She was there for answers.
âWhere is she?â she asked quietly.
The question hung in the air like thunder.
May you like
Victor closed his eyes.
And finally⊠broke.