Chapter 3

The bottle burst with a crack, wine spraying everywhere.

It ran down Cary's face, staining his shirt red.

No one dared say a word.

They all just stood there, blank.

"What did you do!"

Diana rushed forward first, wiping at Cary's face.

Her voice trembled with the ache of it. "Are you insane! Who gave you the right to hit him! You think a little dirty money makes you somebody!"

The girl's voice climbed higher and higher.

Shrill enough that I found myself frowning.

Too loud.

The bodyguards outside came at the noise. "What's going on in here!"

Diana perked right up. "She started a fight on your turf. By your house rules, she should lose her fingers, to make an example of her!"

The bodyguards scanned the room.

"Ma'am…"

One started to speak, and I cut him off. "Ask him yourselves. Did I lay a hand on anyone?"

Cary had taken the hit hard. He leaned on Diana, shaking all over.

"No."

He forced the words out through ragged breaths. "I did it to myself. It has nothing to do with her."

The bodyguards traded looks.

Cary's buddy jumped in.

"Cary, that bottle knocked the sense out of you! Wait, don't go! My guy's talking nonsense. We all saw it, plain as day, this old woman is the one who hit him!"

Cary tried to stop him, lifting a hand, but he had nothing left in him.

Diana let loose all her fury too, jabbing a finger at me as she shouted.

"You dead thing, what are you even playing at? Fine, so you'll do it but you won't own it? A woman your age, aren't you ashamed?"

"There's security cameras in here, right? Whether she smashed it or not, one look at the footage and you'll know!"

The bodyguards went quiet, then turned back toward me.

Their attitude was clearly a lot worse than a moment ago.

"Ma'am, we're obliged to remind you, no trouble is allowed at our venue. You'd better come along with us."

He was smiling. "Don't make us get physical."

I almost laughed. "You want to take me away, is that it."

The bodyguard kept smiling, and the collapsible baton behind him snapped out.

I flipped the table over.

The private room dissolved into chaos.

Diana seized the moment to raise her voice. "See, everyone, see, her true colors are out now! Have you lost your mind? Where do you think you are? Flipping tables in front of everyone! Where do you get the nerve!"

"We picked this place because we knew you'd cause a scene, and you actually went and did it. We can't protect you now. Hurry up and drag her off to learn the rules!"

Diana pointed at me, chin high, the smirk on her lips positively gloating.

Two bodyguards were seething.

"This venue has always stood for keeping the peace. Even a dragon has to coil up here. Ma'am, kicking up a fuss like this, you're not showing our venue any respect. Today, even if the good Lord himself came down, he couldn't save you."

"Come with us."