Heirs To The City: The Quartet

Chapter Fifty Nine

Watching her enter the room, it was clear that she was unaware that an event like this was made just for the giving to others. Those who needed the ability to be helped, coerced into a better place. The whole charity was designed to help other people, and tonight it would be the place that destroying the career of an unneeded influencer would take place.

I thought through it all, what I'd learned about her, how Taliya's family was no longer conjoined, that her name was changed, that all the money she got likely came from her not so legal ways of collecting it. I could accept that I did horrible things, and destroyed lives, but theft for personal benefit was not something I would allow, not in a city where I had the ability to put a stop to it.

"Do you think she realizes she won't be leaving here victorious," Nico comments appearing beside me with a martini, and looking every bit the sophisticated socialite that I knew him to be.

"No, she's too arrogant to realize that someone is smarter then her. It's somewhat funny, that no one here but us and Logan know that this is the end for her," I reply my typical bored afflection taking over my voice while I raised the champagne flute that Hunter had presented to me as I joined all of them to my lips. "Soon enough, everyone here will get to see just how far their secrets will get them, and just how easy it will be to destroy someone who had gained major online creditation," I add.

"You occasionally make me wonder just how much you know about everyone in this room?" Hunter says, eyeing me with the kind of caution I'd have expected from someone who knew about nuclear codes on an unguarded computer, or a kid whose parents were going through their tablet search history.

"I know most things about the people in this room Ambrose, everyone gets reviewed before they are allowed into this party. All Winters Group events are like that. Though most people don't donate millions to get into other events just this one,"  I reply finishing of the glass of alcohol, and watching as the girls joined us. Olivia however was stragling behind and I could see why, she was now caught with Taliya, and talking with her politely as I knew her to be towards all people no matter who they were.

Olivia's kindness was uncanny even if it was towards someone she knew to be not the greatest person, she had a track record of never judging anyone for who they were or what they did. It was however the same reason she was with me and I wouldn't deny that for it in that one instance I was thankful that she was willing to look past all of my flaws, and the terrible things that I did.

"Excuse me," I say with a nod to all of them as I made my through the crowd to where Olivia and Taliya stood, stopping directly behind Olivia and wrapping my arms around her middle. She leaned back slightly, almost unnoticable to the outside world, but I noticed the way she'd pressed herself to me, like the warmth I gave off could shield her from everything going on.

"Adrian, so good to see you," Taliya says and I feign a receptive smile.

"Pleasure," I reply before looking down to Olivia who peered back at me.

"I didn't mean to interrupt but I do have a converstion I need to have with Taliya," I say and she nods though I can see in her eyes she's worried, and though her concern is usually well placed, but not entirely needed; this was the one time I could accept that as not being true.

Watching Olivia go I turned back to Taliya my softness towards my girlfriend fading as I took a step closer to Taliya, "where can we speak privately, trust me you will want this conversation to remain private," I say warning lacing my voice with a venom I reserved for conducting business with particularly nasty pieces of work, who enjoyed underestimating just how much of WGI's rise and preparation was done by my guidance.

"Are you threatening me, Adrian," Taliya's voice matches mine, and I would say I was amused if my anger towards the redhead in front of me wasn't as volcanic as it was.

"I'm telling you the facts of how this will go, you are at my party, surrounded by people I am close to. I think you'd be smart to listen to what I say, and trust me, I have the capacity to ruin you, and with what you've been doing in the past two months, and on your rise to the top of New York society, you should learn just whose toes you decide to step on. Grace," I sneer and her eyes go wide like she hadn't expected me or anyone else here to know.

She'd be surprised just how much I knew about her when this conversation got started.

 "How the fuck do you know my name?" she bites back and I smirk knowing I'm getting her exactly where I wanted to have her in this exchange.

"Your public history is incredibly entertaining, a mother who exploited her husband, creating a daughter, who tried to play the dumb woman going after another woman's man," I begin relishing in the fact her eyes grew wide.

"But that not all. You see once your mother divorced your father I got to learn that you changed your name to Taliya Czellovina and came to make a name for yourself. But no one just chances upon an extra undocumented four million dollars, so I did some digging, and with the digital world being at my fingertips if you look hard enough, I found your dirty little secret. You blackmail, and settle out of court to recieve payments that no one will know about from a case no one realized took place. You planned to do the same to me and all of the other people I am closely associated with," a smile like a domineering schoolmasters rises to my lips, while I watched her entire world crumble down.

"Well, unfortunately for you, there is nothing you could possibly know about any of us that this city doesn't already know Grace. Everyone here knows how I make my money, that it's people like you that I take down, that Nico is a tech expert and creates security details and programs to defend against vindictive people like you. Every little dark secret of yours is already with the New York Precincts, they're on their way, and by chance I have both the commissioner, and police captain here tonight already aware of what you've done, and the file dated on your entire rise. You are not in control in this city. Never were, and never have been. Also I did find evidence of all of your stalking and invasion of private documents. So you will be finding yourself with a particularly pleasant court case against you, one fully documented in the public eye to see you for exactly what you are. An opportunist, and this little game was quite fun," I say watching as Logan neared where we stood two police officers behind him and right as Grace stepped towards me I stepped back and watched her be held in place while her Miranda rights were read to her.

I also noticed that the room was watching. All of them had turned, were silent, and paying attention to every word of Grace's pleas to listen to her, and that she was only going to make herself look worse. These were people she wishes she was, and never would be. There was no typical reasoning, no stereotype that love was the motivation. She was just what she made herself, cold, cunning, and unfortunately for her, prone to leaving her exploits in public knowledge if it could be found under the right conditions.

"Goodbye Grace Haskall, I will see you in court," I smile before turning away from her the music drowning out the curses and yells that she directed at me as I walked away back to where my friends and girlfriend stood watching Grace be led from the room, and not long after I was tapped on the shoulder by one of the administrators of the event for me to give my opening speech that I'd have to make good speech to distract the guests from what just took place, though neglecting it would only lead to questions and further inquiry that I didn't need.

Walking away from everyone once again I make my way towards the stage mentally creating what I was going to say, in hopes of diverting everyone's attention away from the red and blue flashing lights outside, and the whispered curiosity that pervated the room like a shadow when the sun set revealling night.
    
    
So Taliya (Grace) is gone, the book has one more chapter then I'm taking a break to read the collection of dark romance I have bought recently. Comment, vote, and share. Anyways

Peace✌️