Elena yanked her arm free from Victoria's strong grip with all her remaining strength.
Her heel caught the edge of a thick carpet, causing her to stagger slightly backward.
Victoria stepped forward quickly and reached out her hand to grab Elena's collar again.
Her sharp fingernail accidentally grazed Elena's cheek, leaving a small red mark near her jaw.
A sharp sting ran across Elena's face, but she barely paid attention to the pain.
She lifted her hand and touched her cheek, feeling a tiny drop of blood there.
A few nearby guests gasped in shock as they watched the physical struggle unfold.
Julian rushed over from the bar area with a furious look on his face.
Julian: Mother, let the security guards deal with this little liar right now!
Victoria: Keep your voice down, Julian! We do not need a bigger scene!
Elena: It is already too late to keep this quiet, Julian!
Julian: You think anyone in this town will believe a broke orphan over us?
Elena backed away two steps and reached deep inside her velvet purse.
She pulled out her smartphone with her hands shaking from the intense surge of adrenaline.
Her fingers unlocked the device instantly, opening the bright digital screen in front of her.
The app interface showed a large green button with the word Distribute written clearly across it.
Victoria realized what was happening and lunged forward to knock the phone away.
Victoria: Give me that phone right now, Elena!
Elena: Stay back! Do not take another step toward me!
Elena tapped her thumb directly onto the center of the mobile screen.
A quiet digital beep confirmed that the data transfer had started across the local network.
The server instantly sent high-definition video files to every connected device in the building.
Victoria reached out again, but Elena slid deftly around a large floral decoration display.
The ballroom lights flickered once as the central AV system was taken over remotely.
A young technician near the main stage looked at his monitoring screen in complete confusion.
The soft background music suddenly stopped, replacing the chatter with absolute silence.
Every projector screen hanging along the walls switched from displaying gala sponsors to black screen.
Victoria stopped moving and slowly turned her head toward the massive screen above the stage.
Julian stood frozen with his mouth slightly open as a loud audio buzz filled the room.
Elena wiped her bleeding cheek with the back of her hand and smiled faintly.
She knew that the entire truth was about to play out in front of everyone.