Chapter 5
The stunned paralysis of the banquet hall shattered the moment Richard snapped out of his shock.
Seeing his untouchable mother sprawling in a puddle of wine and broken crystal ignited a frantic, desperate rage within him. The confident, theatrical sneer he had worn just seconds prior vanished completely, replaced by a wild, unpredictable panic. The quiet, polite sister-in-law he loved to bully had just drawn blood, and she looked entirely ready to do it again.
"You bitch!" Richard roared, his face flushing a deep, angry crimson.
He lunged forward, his dress shoes slipping slightly on the wet marble. He angrily snatched his silver smartphone off the floor, gripping it so tightly his knuckles turned white. He spun back toward Victoria, thrusting his arm outward, pointing a trembling finger toward the grand exit of the venue.
"Take your brat and leave before I call the police!" Richard shouted, his voice cracking with a mixture of raw panic and threatening bravado.
Victoria didn't flinch. She stepped in front of Lily, shielding the little girl with her body. "Call them," she challenged, her voice deadly calm. "Call the police, Richard. Let’s have them dust that phone for fingerprints. Let’s have them explain to this entire room how a six-year-old child managed to drop a phone under a chair without leaving a single print on the glass."
Richard’s jaw twitched. He looked down at the phone in his hand, realizing instantly that his own fingerprints were likely the only ones smudging the screen.
"You assaulted an elderly woman!" Richard stammered, pointing frantically at Eleanor, who was currently attempting to sit up among the crushed flowers, groaning in humiliation. "You're violent! The police will arrest you for battery, and child services will finally take that little thief away from you!"
"If you dial those numbers, Richard, I promise you, I will break your jaw before the dispatcher answers," Victoria said, taking a slow step toward him.
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"You're crazy," Richard breathed, holding the phone up defensively like a shield. He looked around the room, desperately seeking validation from the crowd of relatives, but the guests remained frozen, unwilling to step into the crossfire. "I'm calling security! I'm having you thrown out of this venue by force!"
"There will be no need to call anyone, sir," a deep, resonant voice echoed from the doorway.
