Chapter 2 - The Fallen Crown
The crystal chandelier hummed softly above the grand ballroom as three hundred high-society guests froze in stunned silence.
Victoria lay sprawling on the polished marble floor, her ivory-champagne wedding dress torn at the lace hem.
Her manicured hands clutched her bruised cheek where the patriarch’s thunderous slap had landed.
Arthur Montgomery stood over her like an unyielding monument, his burgundy velvet tuxedo jacket catching the low ambient light.
"Get up, Victoria," Arthur commanded, his voice cold enough to freeze the blood in her veins.
Victoria looked up, her long diamond earrings swinging wildly as her blonde hair spilled across her pale face.
"You slapped me, Arthur?!" she shrieked, her voice echoing off the vaulted ceilings of the Manhattan estate.
"I am the bride! You cannot humiliate me in front of New York's elite!" she screamed frantically.
Arthur didn't even blink; his stern gaze moved to the massive LED screen still looping the horrific footage.
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The video clearly showed Victoria wielding a heavy leather riding crop against twenty-six-year-old Clara in a dark basement.
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