Born to Rule, Destined to Destroy Novel 30

Chapter 30
Miranda’s disbelief reverberated through her, a tremor of doubt shaking her smug facade. “Where… did you say this package came from?” Her voice wavered, sharp with incredulity.
“The Five-Star Building!” the courier snapped, his impatience threading through his tone as his eyes swept the crowd. “Is Valeria Gordon here? I need your signature—now!”
The knot of employees parted instinctively, their gazes locking onto Valeria as she stepped forward, her face an unreadable mask, emotion stripped bare. Miranda jolted from her stupor, words tumbling out in a rush of disbelief. “This can’t be real! Valeria, you’re kidding, right? I underestimated you—I never thought you’d keep up this charade at a moment like this! How convenient, this courier showing up just in time. What’d you do, pay some stooge to play the part? Incredible, the lengths you’ll go to deceive everyone—it’s no wonder you’ve fooled so many!”
Valeria ignored her, reaching for the sealed envelope with a steady hand. But before she could sign, Miranda lunged, snatching it from her grasp. She paused, her sneer hanging in the air like a blade poised to strike. “This is all theater,” she declared, her voice cutting with derision. “What a performance—Bravo!”
Whispers erupted among the onlookers, a chorus of scorn rippling through the room. “Seriously? Dragging the Five-Star Building into her lies? Valeria’s lost it—what a sad ploy,” one muttered. “That’s it? I was hoping for a real twist!” another scoffed. “She doesn’t belong here—fire her already,” a third hissed, their judgment a rising tide.
Valeria’s brow furrowed, brushing aside the murmurs as she reached to reclaim the envelope. Miranda dodged, her eyes widening with mock alarm. “What are you trying to pull now?”
“This is your last warning,” Valeria said, her voice snapping with a rare edge, cold and unyielding. “Give it to me.” Her stare bore into Miranda, a frost that promised consequences.
The command only fanned Miranda’s resentment into a blaze. She laughed, a scornful bark, and waved the envelope defiantly. “I’m not handing it over. What are you gonna do about it?” With a flourish, she tore it open, her voice ringing with bravado. “Who do you think you’re fooling? It’s just an empty prop, and today I—”
Her words died mid-sentence, snuffed out by a sharp, jarring silence. Two golden cards spilled from the envelope, glinting as they hit the floor with a resonant thud. Miranda froze, caught off-guard, then stooped hastily to scoop them up. Her eyes snagged on the text—“Temporary Pass for the Five-Star Building”—and the color drained from her face, leaving her ashen.
Valeria seized the moment, her voice still a calm tide. “So, do you still think I’m lying?”
The crowd, unable to read the cards from their vantage, pressed closer, drawn by Miranda’s stunned silence. As the reality sank in—those passes granting entry to the vaunted Five-Star Building—murmurs swirled anew, shock threading through their voices. “Is it legit? From the Five-Star Building?” one whispered. “Have we been wrong about her all along?” another questioned. “No way—if she’s tied there, why’s she slumming it as an assistant?” a third puzzled, their skepticism teetering.
Miranda’s fingers traced the cards’ texture, its distinct weight unsettling her, yet she clung to her defiance. “What do these prove?” she challenged, her voice trembling but bold. “If this is a stunt, you’ve planned it down to the stitch. None of us have seen a real pass—how do we know it’s not fake?”
The courier, his patience fraying under her relentless doubt, snapped back, scorn lacing his words. “Forging a Five-Star Building pass is a felony—you’d rot in jail for it. Who’d be dumb enough to try?”
A shadow flickered across Miranda’s face, her features tightening as the weight of his retort sank in. Just then, an employee with a sharper eye stepped forward, voice tentative but clear. “My cousin got into the Five-Star Building once. He said there’s a barcode on the back—scan it, and you’ll know instantly. Ms. Chavez, why not check?”
Miranda flipped the card, revealing the barcode etched in precise lines. With a shaky flick, she yanked out her phone and scanned it, her breath catching. One second, two—the room held its breath, a hushed anticipation cloaking them.
The screen flared to life—“Verification Successful”—and Miranda’s eyes bulged, shock rippling through her. “What the hell? This can’t be real!” she stammered, her hands quaking so fiercely her phone nearly slipped free, her mind a chaotic whirl.
The courier fixed her with an icy glare, his tone cutting like winter wind. “Believe it now? I pulled this straight from the Five-Star Building’s precincts. It’s no fake—impossible.”