Arthur gently set Lily down on a velvet bench nearby, telling her to close her eyes and wait for just a moment while he handled a critical matter. He rose slowly from the marble floor, his movements mechanical and deliberate, carrying the heavy weight of a man pushed past his absolute breaking point. He did not waste time with cautious pacing or polite inquiries; he marched directly toward the stepmother with long, heavy, rapid footsteps that cracked against the floor. Chloe instinctively stepped backward, her designer beige dress rustling sharply as she hit the wall beneath the fluttering American flag. Sarah tried to step in between them to block his path, but Arthur shot her a glare so fierce that she practically melted away into the shadows of the doorway. The immense wealth, the prenuptial agreements, and the high-society galas suddenly meant nothing compared to the safety of his flesh and blood. He towered over Chloe, his chest heaving with every ragged breath as he leaned in close to demand answers for her unspeakable actions. The betrayal cut deeper than any business loss or legal dispute he had ever faced in his corporate boardroom career. He pointed a shaking, rigid finger at the open grey suitcase sitting just a few feet away, his voice dropping into a dangerous, chilling growl that echoed off the high ceiling.
Arthur: Where were you taking my daughter?! Answer me right now before I lose my mind completely!
Chloe: I was just... we were playing a game! Kids love hiding in tight spaces, don't they, Sarah?
Sarah: Yes, exactly! It was just an innocent game gone wrong, Arthur. You're blowing this way out of proportion!
Arthur: A game? You zipped a six-year-old child inside a luggage bag and left her to suffocate in the hallway!
Chloe: She is constantly crying, she ruins our social events, and she doesn't fit into the life we are trying to build here!
Arthur: She is my flesh and blood! This is her home far more than it will ever be yours!
Chloe: If you divorce me over this, my divorce lawyers will strip your estate bare through alimony and asset division!
Arthur: Let my lawyers handle the estate. You are worried about money while you treated my daughter like garbage?
Chloe: You wouldn't dare throw me out! My family has too much influence in this city's high society!
Arthur: Your family influence won't save you from what I'm about to do to you right here, right now.
Arthur’s patience evaporated entirely into the tense air of the foyer as Chloe crossed her arms with an arrogant sneer. Before she could blink or utter another defensive excuse, Arthur's right hand moved in a swift, devastating arc through the air. A loud slap impact sound echoed sharply across the luxury hallway, ringing out like a gunshot against the marble walls. The sheer velocity of the strike sent Chloe stumbling violently sideways, her shoulder crashing hard against the wall near the base of the American flag. A bright crimson handprint bloomed across her cheek, and she clutched her face in utter shock, staring at her husband as if he had grown a second head. Sarah screamed softly, stepping back in total terror while watching the master of the house snap under the weight of his rage.
Chloe: You... you actually hit me? You laid your hands on my face?!
Arthur: That slap was for every minute my daughter spent terrified inside that suitcase. You are lucky I don't throw you out the window.
Chloe: I am calling the police! You are assaulting your own wife in our own home!
Arthur: Call whoever you want. The security cameras in this hallway record audio and video 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.