Chapter 2 - THE BRUISED CHEEK
Mariana lay motionless against the cold, glistening marble floor of the grand entrance hall.
Her off-shoulder ruby red satin gown pooled around her like a puddle of fresh blood under the crystal chandeliers.
She raised a trembling hand to her left cheek, her fingertips brushing against the burning, swollen skin where her husband's palm had struck.
A metallic taste of copper filled her mouth from a small cut on her lower lip.
Heavy, ragged breaths escaped her lips as the initial shock slowly gave way to a chilling, calculated numbness.
Tears welled up in her dark eyes, blurring the glittering lights above her head, but she refused to let them fall.
Across the foyer, Richard stood frozen, his chest heaving inside his tailored navy blue suit with the open collar shirt.
His aggressive demeanor vanished in an instant, replaced by a sudden, creeping terror as he stared down at his own hand.
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"Mariana... I didn't mean..." Richard stammered, taking a half-step forward before stopping dead in his tracks.
Mariana did not answer him, her gaze locked onto a cluster of scattered white pearls lying nearby.
