The security guard looked up at the wall where a heavy dome camera was pointed straight down at the display table. Victor's face went from angry red to pale white in a matter of seconds. He tried to scramble up from the marble floor, but his knee wobbled under him as he clutched his bruised abdomen. The crowd's whispers grew louder and sharper as people began pulling out their phones to record the scene.
Woman in Crowd: Did he really hit a little girl? That is awful!
Man in Crowd: I saw it! He hit her hard! That poor kid!
Victor: Shut up! All of you, shut up! I am the main sponsor of this whole event!
Sarah: I don't care how much money you have! You are going to pay for what you did to my baby!
Just then, the general manager of the hotel rushed into the ballroom, flanked by two police officers who had been on detail duty near the main entrance. The manager took one look at Victor groaning on the floor, Sarah standing tall, and Clara sobbing behind her dress, and realized the situation was disastrous. Sarah pointed straight at Victor as the officers approached.
Officer Davis: What is going on here? Step back, everyone.
Sarah: Officer, this man just physically assaulted my six-year-old daughter. He slapped her face so hard it left a mark!
Victor: She kicked me in the stomach! Look at her! She broke the law!
Officer Davis: Sir, stay down for a second. Ma'am, is the child okay?
Sarah knelt back down to pull Clara up into her arms, showing the police officer the dark red mark swelling on Clara's cheek. The officer's jaw tightened as he saw the clear footprint of abuse on a child's delicate face. He looked over at the hotel manager with a cold, hard expression that left no room for negotiation.
Officer Davis: Pull up the security footage immediately. Now.
Manager: Right away, Officer. Follow me to the security office.
Victor tried to push himself up, demanding his personal lawyer be called, but Officer Davis put a heavy hand on Victor's shoulder, keeping him seated right on the cold floor. The room felt charged with tension as everyone waited for the tape review, the bright daylight illuminating every detail of Victor's utter humiliation.