Chapter 5 - The Physical Demonstration
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Panic is a highly combustible emotion, and Grant was practically soaking in it.
"Hang up the phone!" Grant shouted, dropping the charm completely. He violently yanked my arm, trying to physically drag me away from the cake table and toward the private bridal suite corridor. "We are going to talk about this in private!"
I dug my heels into the polished floor, resisting his pull. "There is absolutely nothing left to talk about."
Before he could drag me another inch, my sister Sarah materialized out of the crowd like a guided missile. She stepped aggressively between us, shoving Grant backward with both hands.
"Get your hands off her right now!" Sarah screamed, her voice cutting through the stunned silence of the ballroom.
Grant stumbled back, his face twisting with rage. He raised a hand as if to push Sarah aside, but the sudden movement finally snapped the venue security out of their shock. Three large men in dark suits quickly closed in, forming a barrier between Grant and us.
Grant looked around, his chest heaving, and suddenly realized that the laughter had completely died. Half the ballroom was no longer cheering; they were holding up their phones, recording his violent outburst in horrified silence.
The mask scrambled to find its place back on his face.
"It was a joke!" Grant shouted to the crowd, raising his hands in a placating gesture, sweating under the chandelier lights. He looked back at me, desperate. "Tell them, Claire! Tell them we were just playing around!"
I used a linen napkin to wipe the last of the cake from my cheek. I looked at the man I had almost given my life to.
"Jokes are supposed to be funny to the person they happen to, Grant," I said, my voice echoing in the quiet room. "This wasn't a joke. It was an assault."
Suddenly, Eleanor pushed her way through the crowd. She approached me holding a damp cloth, deploying the exact same icy, condescending smile she used when crushing rivals in investment meetings.
"Claire, darling, please," Eleanor murmured, trying to dab at my ruined dress. "Let’s go upstairs and handle this privately. You're emotional. Families forgive these silly, embarrassing moments."
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I swatted her hand away.
"This wasn’t an embarrassing moment, Eleanor," I said, looking her dead in the eye. "It was a demonstration. You wanted to show everyone who held the leash. Unfortunately for you, you brought a leash to a gunfight."
