Without warning, Victor grabbed Claire from behind, clamping his thick arm around her throat in a tight chokehold. The sudden attack sent a wave of shock through the venue as glasses clinked and conversations instantly stopped. Victor leaned down near her ear, shouting loudly enough for the entire hall to hear his angry threat.
Victor: KNOW YOUR PLACE!
Guests gasped in horror as women stepped back and security guards hesitated, caught completely off guard by the sudden violence. Arthur turned around in horror, his eyes widening as he saw his cousin holding his quiet assistant by the neck. He took a quick step forward, shouting for Victor to let her go before someone got hurt.
Arthur: Victor, stop this right now! Put her down!
Victor: You think you can steal my inheritance and ignore me, Arthur? See what happens when people mess with me!
Claire did not scream, panic, or burst into tears as Victor expected. Instead, her body went completely still for a split second, her green eyes narrowing with sharp focus. She felt the heavy pressure on her windpipe and instantly knew how to counter the angle of his grip. Before Victor could tighten his chokehold any further, Claire grabbed his wrist with both hands, twisting her hips violently into his body. She lowered her center of gravity, ducked her head beneath his outstretched arm, and pulled his upper torso over her shoulder with unbelievable force. The sudden leverage took Victor entirely off his feet, sending his heavy frame flying through the air above her head.
Victor slammed onto the hard, polished marble floor with a brutal crash that echoed off the white walls of the grand hall. The impact knocked the wind completely out of his lungs, leaving him gasping for air on his back like a fish out of water. The entire room fell into dead silence, the previous noise of the party replaced by pure shock. Guests stood frozen in place, their mouths open as they looked from the groaning man on the floor to the quiet assistant standing over him. Claire stood tall, her beige dress slightly wrinkled, breathing steadily as she smoothed down her red hair near the framed American flag artwork.
Claire: He reached for my throat...
Arthur's young executive assistant, David, stood nearby with his hands trembling and his face pale with utter disbelief. He looked down at the physical ruin of Victor on the floor and then looked back at Claire, unable to process what he had just seen. He grabbed Arthur's arm, his voice shaking with panicked confusion as he pointed at the calm red-haired woman.
David: BOSS, SHE MOVED BEFORE I SAW HIM ATTACK! AN ASSISTANT DOESN'T MOVE LIKE THAT!
Arthur: I... I don't understand what just happened.
Claire ignored the staring crowd and stepped calmly past the groaning man on the marble floor. She walked over to the silver tea service tray near the white wall as if nothing unusual had happened at all. She picked up a small silver cloth, wiped a small speck of dust from her skirt, and reached into her small shoulder bag. The entire room remained dead quiet, watching her every single move as Arthur slowly approached her with endless questions racing through his mind.