Chapter 2
Elena rose from the marble floor with a sudden, coiled fury that caught everyone by surprise. Without a word of warning, she launched a swift, hard kick backward, her heel connecting squarely with Julian’s shin. The smug expression vanished from his face in an instant, replaced by a gasp of shock and pain. The man in the gold tuxedo stumbled backward, his arms flailing wildly as his balance abandoned him. He crashed down hard onto the polished marble dance floor with a heavy, humiliating thud. Several onlookers gasped, stepping back to give the sprawling man room as he groaned, clutching his leg. Elena didn't look down at him. Instead, she scooped Lily up into her arms, pressing the weeping little girl tightly against her shoulder. The silence in the ballroom was absolute, broken only by Lily’s soft, hitching sobs against Elena’s neck. Security guards finally began to push through the crowd, their faces tight with confusion and corporate anxiety. Elena held her ground, her posture rigid and unyielding as she stared down at the groaning man. Julian tried to prop himself up on one elbow, his face contorted in anger and embarrassment, but the damage to his dignity was already complete. The glittering diamond ring still lay on a small cocktail table nearby, forgotten in the sudden violence of the moment. Elena turned her back on the fallen man, carrying her daughter toward the grand mahogany exit doors.
