Chapter 2: One Phone Call
No one knew the man's name.
But everyone noticed what happened the moment he entered the ballroom.
The six security guards stationed throughout the Ashford Estate immediately straightened their backs. Two of them instinctively stepped aside, creating a clear path through the crowd without being asked.
The guests exchanged puzzled glances.
"Who is he?" someone whispered.
"I've never seen him before."
"He doesn't look like one of Charlotte's friends."
The stranger ignored every curious stare.
His attention remained fixed on Sophie.
She was still kneeling on the cold marble floor, one hand pressed against her bleeding cheek while broken crystal glittered around her. The wine stain had spread across the floor like dark crimson paint, mixing with the drops of blood that continued to fall from her face.
The man stopped a few feet away.
For several long seconds, he simply looked at her.
His expression revealed almost nothing.
Only his eyes changed.
They grew colder.
Much colder.
Charlotte folded her arms impatiently.
"I'm sorry," she said with an artificial smile. "This is a private event. If you're looking for someone, you'll have to wait until my staff cleans up this embarrassing mess."
The stranger slowly lifted his eyes toward her.
"What happened?"
His voice wasn't loud.
Yet everyone heard it.
Charlotte laughed lightly.
"My maid was careless. She dropped a bottle of wine and ruined my floor."
The man glanced at Sophie again.
"Did the floor make her bleed?"
Charlotte's smile disappeared.
"She fell."
"Did she?"
No one spoke.
The silence became almost unbearable.
Sophie lowered her eyes.
She didn't want any more trouble.
"It's okay," she whispered. "It was my fault."
The stranger looked directly at her.
"Did she hit you?"
Sophie's lips parted.
She hesitated.
If she told the truth, she would lose her job.
If she lied...
The blood running down her cheek had already answered the question.
Charlotte interrupted before Sophie could speak.
"She's exaggerating. It was an accident."
The stranger nodded once.
Then he bent down beside Sophie.
His expensive suit didn't touch the blood or the spilled wine. He carefully removed a neatly folded white handkerchief from his jacket pocket and handed it to her.
"Hold this against your cheek."
She stared at him in surprise.
"No one should bleed alone."
Her trembling fingers accepted the handkerchief.
It was the first act of kindness anyone had shown her that night.
Charlotte rolled her eyes.
"This is ridiculous."
The stranger slowly stood.
"What is your name?"
"Charlotte Ashford."
"And you own this estate?"
Charlotte lifted her chin proudly.
"My family has lived here for years."
"I didn't ask who lived here."
Her confidence faltered for the first time.
"My husband oversees the property."
"I see."
His voice remained calm.
Almost too calm.
He reached into the inside pocket of his jacket and removed a simple black cell phone.
There was nothing flashy about it.
No expensive case.
No gold trim.
Just an ordinary phone.
He tapped one number.
The call connected immediately.
"Daniel."
The ballroom was so quiet that everyone could hear every word.
"I've arrived."
A pause.
"I need you to verify something."
Another pause.
"Who currently has legal authority over the Ashford Estate?"
Charlotte frowned.
"What are you doing?"
The man ignored her.
"Also..."
His eyes drifted toward Sophie.
"Send a medical team."
He ended the call.
That was it.
No shouting.
No threats.
Just twenty seconds.
Charlotte laughed nervously.
"Is this some kind of joke?"
The stranger slipped the phone back into his pocket.
"We'll know shortly."
Guests began whispering.
One businessman quietly pulled out his own phone.
Another guest searched the stranger's face as though trying to remember where he had seen him before.
Near the entrance, the head of security suddenly received a call through his earpiece.
His face changed instantly.
He looked toward the stranger.
Then toward Charlotte.
His complexion turned pale.
He hurried across the ballroom.
"Sir."
The security chief gave the stranger a respectful nod before lowering his voice.
"The executive office confirmed your arrival."
Charlotte blinked.
"What executive office?"
The guard swallowed.
"Our executive office."
Charlotte frowned.
"What are you talking about?"
The guard hesitated.
"I..."
Before he could finish, his phone rang again.
He answered immediately.
"Yes, sir."
His posture became even straighter.
"I understand."
When he hung up, he slowly turned toward Charlotte.
His voice sounded strained.
"Ma'am..."
"What now?"
"We've received new instructions."
Charlotte crossed her arms.
"From who?"
The guard looked at the stranger before answering.
"From corporate headquarters."
Charlotte laughed in disbelief.
"Corporate headquarters doesn't control my home."
The guard remained silent.
Another security officer approached, carrying a tablet.
"Chief."
He handed it over.
The chief looked at the screen.
His eyes widened.
Then he turned the display toward Charlotte.
The color drained from her face.
Across the screen was an official document bearing the seal of Ashford Holdings.
At the bottom was a notification marked URGENT.
Effective immediately, all authority over operations at the Ashford Estate is suspended pending executive review. All security personnel are instructed to cooperate fully with Executive Chairman Adrian Bennett upon his arrival.
Charlotte stared at the name.
Her lips trembled.
"No..."
She slowly lifted her eyes toward the stranger.
"You..."
For the first time since entering the mansion...
A faint smile crossed his face.
"My name," he said quietly, "is Adrian Bennett."
A murmur swept across the ballroom.
The name spread through the guests like wildfire.
Some gasped.
Others instinctively stepped back.
Even those who had never met him recognized the name immediately.
Charlotte's confidence vanished.
Because everyone in the room knew one thing.
Adrian Bennett wasn't simply a wealthy businessman.
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He was the man whose signature could decide the future of the entire Ashford fortune.
And he had just witnessed Charlotte strike a defenseless maid.
