Chapter 2 - The Smirk of Privilege
A young woman stepped out from the shadowy perimeter of the crowd, her movements slow, languid, and entirely unbothered. She was in her early twenties, her blonde hair swept up into an immaculate, tightly pinned bun, wearing a sleek black off-the-shoulder dress that accentuated her pale collarbones. In her right hand, she loosely gripped a crystal glass half-filled with red wine, swirling the dark liquid in smooth, idle circles.
She stopped just a few paces away from Arthur, looking down her nose at the small, weeping child with an expression of mild amusement, as though she were observing a stray dog barking at a passing car.
"Relax, it was just a harmless prank," she said, her voice dripping with dismissive contempt as she curled her lips into a mocking, insolent smirk.
May you like
She took a slow, deliberate sip of her wine, her eyes locking onto Arthur’s plain, dark grey shirt with clear condescension. To her, he was an anomaly—a blue-collar intruder who didn't belong within ten miles of this private estate. The tears of his child were nothing more than a minor spectacle, a bit of unexpected melodrama to spice up a tedious evening.
The rage inside Arthur shifted, turning from an explosive heat into something terrifyingly cold, focused, and calculated. He could feel Lily’s tears soaking through his shirt, her small body shivering against his side, traumatized by a cruel game played by bored elites who believed their money made them immune to consequences.
