Carter did not ask any questions or look for the missing diamond ring on the floor. Instead, he reached out with a harsh, heavy hand and grabbed Lily by her small shoulder, pulling her up violently. Lily let out a tiny cry of surprise, her crayons scattering across the white marble floor. The surrounding guests turned their heads in shock, but no one stepped forward to stop the powerful CEO. Carter yelled at the child, calling her a thief in front of the entire crowded room. Lily began to cry, shaking her head frantically as she tried to explain that she only wanted her pink crayon. But Carter was blinded by his arrogance and short temper. Without warning, he raised his hand and brought it down in a brutal, heavy slap across Lily's soft cheek. The sharp impact sound cracked through the ballroom like a gunshot, echoing off the high ceiling.
Lily screamed out in pain as the force of the slap threw her backward against a heavy decorative marble board. The board was leaning against the display pedestal, weighing nearly a hundred pounds. As Lily stumbled, her back hit the base, causing the massive slab of marble to tip forward with terrifying speed. Before anyone could react, the heavy board crashed down directly on top of the little girl with a thunderous thud. The crowd gasped in collective horror as Lily was completely pinned underneath the stone slab, hidden from view. A cloud of fine dust rose from the shattered edge of the marble floor where the board had landed. Carter stepped back, momentarily startled by the sudden crash, but his expression quickly hardened back into cold disdain. He adjusted his tuxedo cuffs as if nothing important had just happened, ignoring the child trapped under the heavy stone. The ballroom was dead silent for a fraction of a second as everyone stood frozen in complete shock.
Elena heard the horrible sound of the slap followed immediately by her daughter's painful scream and the heavy crash. Her heart stopped, and the tray she was holding dropped onto the floor, spilling glasses everywhere. She turned around and saw the crushed marble board where her sweet daughter had been standing just moments ago. Panic rushed through her veins like ice water as she let out a desperate, guttural cry. She pushed past two wealthy guests who were standing idle, her eyes locked onto the heavy stone board. Nothing else mattered in the world except getting to her innocent child. She fell to her knees beside the marble board, her hands shaking uncontrollably as she looked for any sign of movement. She could hear soft, painful whimpers coming from beneath the heavy slab. Elena gripped the rough edge of the marble stone with all her strength, her knuckles turning white under the strain. She refused to give up, no matter how heavy the stone was.