Chapter 4
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The shattering of the crystal glasses plunged that section of the ballroom into a dead, suffocating silence. The string quartet completely stopped playing. Every eye in the Crystal Pavilion was now fixed on the scene unfolding in the center of the room.
Elena stood amidst the broken glass, her breathing shallow, her hand still resting against her bleeding lip. She expected someone to step forward. She expected the security guards she employed to intervene, or for one of the so-called refined guests to put an end to the madness.
But nobody intervened. Nobody defended her.
The wealthy elite simply watched, holding their breaths, treating the brutal humiliation of a service worker as a piece of dramatic entertainment. They clutched their pearls and whispered, completely complicit in their silence.
But the socialite wasn't finished. Intoxicated by the power trip and the silent submission of the crowd, Cassandra stepped closer to the broken glass, pointing a manicured, trembling finger at Elena's face.
"Look at me when I speak!" Cassandra shrieked, her voice echoing loudly across the silent ballroom. "You drop your eyes when you address your betters! You are going to get down on your hands and knees, right here in front of everyone, and you are going to clean up every single piece of that broken glass! And after that, I will personally ensure you never work in this city again!"
Elena slowly lowered her hand from her bleeding lip. The tears of initial shock vanished, replaced by a cold, terrifying calm. She did not look at the floor. She locked her dark eyes directly onto Cassandra’s.
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"I will not get on my knees," Elena said quietly, her voice carrying a weight and authority that momentarily confused the angry socialite. "And you have made a catastrophic mistake."
Cassandra scoffed loudly, raising her hand as if preparing to strike the young woman a second time. "How dare you speak back to me, you filthy little—"
