Lucy, never one to miss an opportunity to escalate, stamped her foot dramatically. "Gilbert, I don’t care about an apology. She slapped me and I want her to pay double!" Her voice dripped with venom, her eyes gleaming as she looked at me, daring me to react.
Gilbert’s eyes flicked toward me, his patience obviously wearing thin. I didn’t move. I didn’t flinch. My silence only seemed to infuriate him more. With a sharp gesture, he signaled to the two bodyguards standing nearby.
“Lily, this is your last chance. Apologize to Lucy, or else...” His words trailed off, but the threat lingered in the air.
I responded with a cold smile. Not one of rebellion, but one of sheer exhaustion—of being past caring.
That was enough to set him off. He gave the signal and the two bodyguards grabbed my arms roughly, pinning me in place. Lucy smirked, her victory evident as she approached. With cruel deliberation, she slapped me across the face—once, twice—the hard metal of her ring scraping my skin, leaving a searing trail of pain. I tasted blood in my mouth as my bodyguard released me and I fell to the floor in a heap.