Tiffany: Get out of my way!
With a furious shout, Tiffany swung her hand forward and forcefully slapped Victoria straight across the face. The sharp crack of the impact echoed through the grand hall like a gunshot.
A collective gasp erupted from the crowd of guests. Several women covered their mouths in shock, while men stepped back toward the marble pillars.
Victoria's head turned slightly from the blow. A faint red scratch appeared along her cheekbone, but she didn't stumble. She didn't cry out. She didn't even flinch.
She slowly turned her head back to face Tiffany. Her dark eyes were completely calm, filled with a freezing, dangerous composure that made Julian's stomach drop.
Victoria raised her white-gloved hand, gently touching the faint scratch on her cheek with two fingers. She looked down at the blood on her glove, then looked back at Tiffany.
Victoria: Pick that up.
Her voice was a cold, quiet whisper that cut through the silence of the room better than a shout.
Tiffany: What did you just say to me?
Victoria: I told you to pick up the broken glass you threw on my floor.
Tiffany: Are you out of your mind?! I just slapped you!
Victoria: And you are going to regret that slap for the rest of your life.
Tiffany: I own people like you!
Tiffany screamed hysterically directly into Victoria's face, her voice echoing off the high ceilings of the luxury hall. She raised her hand again, preparing to strike Victoria a second time.
Tiffany: I am going to have you thrown in prison for touching me!
Julian: Tiffany, stop! Don't hit her again!
Tiffany: Shut up, Julian! I am going to destroy this pathetic guard!
Before Tiffany's hand could come down, Victoria moved with swift, lethal speed. She didn't swing her fist. She didn't yell. She simply planted her left foot and delivered a powerful, sharp front kick straight into Tiffany's chest.
The heavy impact thudded through the room. Tiffany let out a high-pitched scream as the force sent her flying backward through the air.
She crashed hard onto the black-and-white checkered marble floor five feet away. Her burgundy red gown crumpled around her legs, her expensive hairstyle ruined, and her diamond necklace clattered across the slick tiles.
The entire ballroom fell completely dead silent. Nobody moved. Nobody breathed.
Tiffany lay on her back, gasping for air as her hands clutched her bruised ribs. She looked up in absolute horror, her face pale and covered in sweat.
Victoria took a slow, steady step forward, her black polished shoes clicking against the marble tiles.