Chapter 5
The sheer audacity of Victoria’s lie shattered the final, agonizing thread of Alexander’s restraint.
He moved with an explosive, terrifying speed that completely defied the elegant setting of the ballroom. He did not hand Sophia to a bodyguard. He kept his left arm securely wrapped around his daughter, protecting her.
With his right hand, Alexander lunged forward.
Before Victoria could even register the movement or raise her hands in defense, Alexander drew his arm back and delivered one thunderous, open-handed slap directly across her face.
The sound cracked through the silent ballroom like a rifle shot. The immense, kinetic force of the blow lifted the seventy-year-old matriarch entirely off her expensive heels.
Victoria spun violently backward, her elegant evening gown twisting around her legs. She flew through the air and crashed directly into the towering, multi-tiered celebration cake.
The impact was catastrophic. The heavy cake stand buckled instantly under her weight. Massive tiers of white frosting, sponge cake, and delicate sugar flowers exploded outward in a chaotic cascade of destruction. Victoria collapsed into the ruin of the dessert, hitting the polished marble floor with a heavy, wet thud. She groaned in agony, her flawless hair ruined, her pearl necklace tangling in the thick, smeared frosting. A bright red handprint immediately bloomed across her fair, rosy cheek.
The guests gasped in collective, absolute horror. Several women covered their mouths, but no one dared to intervene. The bodyguards standing along the perimeter of the room remained perfectly still, their hands resting on their concealed weapons, entirely loyal to the man holding the child.
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Alexander stood over his mother, his rage restrained in a terrifyingly controlled, absolute manner. He did not yell. He did not explode into a theatrical tantrum.
"What happened to the money?" Alexander demanded, his voice booming with absolute fury, carrying effortlessly across the silent room. "What happened to the money I send home every month for her care?"
