Brandon's POV
Everything happened in a blink.
One second the venue was alive with applause and flashing cameras. Excited voices rose from every direction, colliding with soft music and laughter beneath the glittering lights overhead. People were smiling, standing, and congratulating one another. The atmosphere was warm, loud, and celebratory.
Then—
Chaos.
Police officers flooded into the hall from every direction.
Heavy footsteps struck the floor.
Voices echoed over each other.
People gasped.
Sounds cut off abruptly with a sharp crack of static.
Conversations died halfway through sentences.
Confused murmurs spread across the crowd like wildfire.
The bright atmosphere shattered instantly, as though someone had taken a perfect glass painting and slammed it against a concrete wall.
For one brief second, I stood frozen.
My mind struggled to catch up.
Faces turned.
People rose from their seats.
Phones were already being lifted.
Questions began flying.
