Page 46 of Deadly Legacy
Stepan spoke quietly into his own comm unit, instructing the security team. Reuben returned his attention to the monitors, tracking Wallace’s path through the crowd.
“Wallace, head to the terrace doors in two minutes. Security will create a distraction near the stage. Use that moment to step into the service corridor behind you.”
“Got it,” came Wallace’s measured response through the earpiece.
Reuben watched the minutes tick by. The chandeliers dimmed slightly as the evening progressed, casting longer shadows across the ballroom floor. Tension coiled in his chest.
In the controlled chaos, a security guard “accidentally” knocked into a waiter carrying a tray of champagne flutes. The resulting crash and splash created a momentary disruption, drawing attention to the front of the room.
During that moment, Wallace slipped smoothly through a service door. On another monitor, Andrey immediately abandoned his serving tray and followed.
“They’re in the blind spot,” Stepan noted, indicating the corridor not covered by the venue’s security cameras.
Reuben switched to the feed from their own hidden camera positioned in the service corridor. The audio was faint, requiring him to adjust the volume.
“—must listen carefully,” Andrey was saying, his words rushed, shoulders hunched as if expecting a blow. “Dmitrii’s playing with you. He knows you’re playing both sides. He’s already moved on Charlotte. She’s not just his insurance against you anymore. He’s using her to force you back in line, and if that doesn’t work...” Andrey swallowed hard. “He plans to use her to draw out everyone at the Quantize Guard closing. The Matvei brothers, Reuben, anyone who might try to protect you.”
Wallace’s face paled. “He’s already contacted her?”
“She’s been under surveillance for weeks. He was waiting to see if you’d betray him. And you just did.” Andrey checked again for observers. “He’s becoming unpredictable. His backers are getting nervous. They think he’s taking unnecessary risks.”
“How dangerous is this plan of his?”
“Very. He’s past caring about appearances.” Andrey’s hand trembled as he passed a folded note to Wallace. “This has the details. You need to warn—”
The sound of a door opening somewhere off-camera cut Andrey short. The metallic click echoed in the narrow corridor, amplified by the concrete walls. He stiffened, eyes wide with fear.
“Tell them... tell them I’m sorry,” Andrey whispered, the words barely audible. “For everything.”
He slipped away, resuming his subservient posture as he disappeared from the frame. Wallace tucked the note into his jacket pocket and exited through the opposite door.
“Did you get that?” Reuben asked, heart hammering against his ribs.
“Every word,” Stepan confirmed.
Reuben sat back, his earlier suspicions about his father’s motives shifting as he watched Wallace’s reaction play out on the monitor.
He’d assumed his father’s concern about Charlotte was another calculated performance. Just one more layer of Wallace Hoyt’s endless manipulations.
But the way Wallace’s hand trembled against that wall, the naked fear in his eyes when he heard about Charlotte’s involvement... that wasn’t the measured response of a man playing both sides.
In all the years of their deteriorating family dynamic, through the divorce and the aftermath, Reuben had never seen his father’s control slip like that. Wallace Hoyt, who’d calculated every move of his life, was coming apart at the mere mention of his ex-wife being in danger.
The familiar cold calculation that had served Reuben well at poker tables settled over him. His father’s unexpectedly real vulnerability wasn’t just a complication—it was confirmation.
Whatever Reuben still thought about his father, Wallace’s fear for Charlotte was real. Which meant, at least in this instance, they could trust him.
“We need to get Wallace out now,” he decided. “He has what we need, and Dmitrii’s watching him too closely.”
On the screens, Wallace had rejoined the gala, his expression carefully composed despite what he’d just learned. Reuben noticed his father’s confident stride across the marble floor, impressed despite himself at Wallace’s ability to maintain his facade.
“Wallace, Dmitrii already knows something’s up,” Reuben said into the comm. “So we need to get you and that note out. Now. Head toward the north exit. Car’s waiting.”
“If I make a break for it, he’ll move on me immediately,” Wallace responded, raising his voice a little to be heard over theorchestra’s crescendo in the background. “He hasn’t taken his eyes off me since I returned to the floor.”
Reuben switched camera views, confirming Wallace’s assessment. Dmitrii had indeed moved to a position with clear sightlines to the exits, his attention fixed on Wallace with unnerving intensity.
“He’s right,” Stepan said. “And Dmitrii’s people are covering all visible exits.”
