The polished floor of the banquet hall was slick beneath Clara's heels right before the shove sent her flying.

Her golden gown tore at the seam as her palms slammed into the dark wood.

Clara: Julian, please! Everyone is watching us!

Julian: Get out of my sight!

Clara: You promised me we would announce the estate transfer together tonight!

Julian: I told you never to speak of that trust fund in public again.

Whispers rippled through the eighty wealthy guests standing near the cocktail tables.

Guest One: Did he just shove her down?

Guest Two: That's Julian Vance's new fiancée. What on earth did she do?

Clara pushed her trembling body up from the floor, her green eyes wild with sudden fear.

Clara: Julian, look at me! I did everything for your family!

Julian: You did everything for your own bank account.

Near the arched entrance of the ballroom, soft footsteps clicked across the hardwood.

A twelve-year-old girl in a yellow floral ruffle dress walked forward without making a single sound.

Her light brown hair brushed her shoulders as her thumbs tapped against a phone screen.

Clara: Mia? What is that brat doing here?

Julian: Mia, stay back. This is between adults.

The young girl didn't slow her pace or look up from the bright screen in her hands.

Mia: You told me dad's will gave you everything, Clara.

Clara: It did! The estate lawyer confirmed it yesterday!

Mia: Then why does this paper say something completely different?

Mia's thumb pressed the center of the display with a steady, quiet click.

Above the ballroom entrance, the massive projector screen flickered to life with a deafening chime.

A scanned document beamed in front of every investor and family friend in the room.

Clara's face lost every trace of color as her breathing turned ragged.

Mia stopped, turned her head slightly over her ruffled shoulder, and smiled.

Mia: Checkmate.

The room went dead silent as the words on the screen began to sink in.