OFFICER DANIEL REED: "Your family name does not change what we need to establish here."
For the first time since entering the boutique, Victoria appeared uncertain about how to respond. She had expected the officers to recognize her position and treat her complaint as a priority. She had not expected one of them to tell her directly that her family name did not alter the situation.
She quickly recovered her composure, replacing surprise with indignation.
VICTORIA STERLING: "My father knows people in this city. I suggest you remember that before you decide to make a mistake."
OFFICER MICHAEL TURNER: "We are here to establish what happened, ma'am. Please let us do our job."
Amara slowly accepted Officer Turner's hand and allowed him to help her stand. Her legs felt unsteady, and she briefly placed one hand against the edge of the display counter for support.
The red mark on her cheek was becoming more visible.
A few strands of hair had come loose from her bun, and her uniform was creased from the fall. She looked toward the handbag she had been protecting only minutes earlier, then back at Victoria.
AMARA WILLIAMS: "I never refused to help her. I offered to check other stores. The bag was already reserved."
Officer Turner listened carefully.
OFFICER MICHAEL TURNER: "Did you have any physical contact with her before she struck you?"
AMARA WILLIAMS: "No. I stayed behind the counter. I did not touch her."
OFFICER MICHAEL TURNER: "All right. We'll take a proper statement from you."
Victoria let out a frustrated laugh.
VICTORIA STERLING: "This is ridiculous. You are wasting everyone's time over a handbag."
Officer Reed turned toward her.
OFFICER DANIEL REED: "The issue is not the price of the handbag. It is what happened between you and the employee."
VICTORIA STERLING: "She embarrassed me in public!"
OFFICER DANIEL REED: "That does not give you permission to strike or shove another person."
For a few seconds, Victoria said nothing. Her eyes moved from Officer Reed to the customers, then toward the boutique entrance. She seemed to be calculating how the incident might be explained if it became public.
She was accustomed to controlling the narrative. In most disagreements, she could leave the room, make a phone call, and rely on someone else to smooth over the consequences. She had never seriously considered that witnesses might remember events differently from her, or that a recording might preserve details she preferred to deny.
But Maison Aurelle was equipped with a comprehensive security system.
Small cameras had been installed above the main entrance, along the display counters, near the checkout area, and in the corridor leading to the manager's office. They recorded the boutique continuously to protect employees, customers, and merchandise.
The camera above the burgundy handbag display had an unobstructed view of the confrontation.
It had captured Victoria's arrival, her argument with Amara, the moment she raised her hand, and the shove that sent the employee to the floor.
No one in the boutique had yet reviewed the footage.
For now, the officers had to work with the statements available to them, while the manager needed to be informed that a serious incident had occurred on his sales floor.
The assistant manager, who had been helping a customer at the rear of the store, finally approached after hearing the commotion. Her name was Sophie Grant, and she had worked alongside Amara for nearly three years. The moment she saw Amara's face, her expression changed.
SOPHIE GRANT: "Amara, what happened to you?"
AMARA WILLIAMS: "I'm all right. She became angry about the reserved handbag."
Sophie looked toward Victoria, who was standing beside Officer Reed with her arms crossed.
SOPHIE GRANT: "Did she hit you?"
Amara hesitated before answering. She did not want to make the situation more dramatic than it already was, but there was no reason to conceal what had happened.
AMARA WILLIAMS: "Yes. She slapped me and pushed me down."
Sophie looked at the officers.
SOPHIE GRANT: "I can call the manager. He is in the back office."
OFFICER DANIEL REED: "Please do. We need the manager to help us identify the relevant store procedures and preserve any available security footage."
Sophie nodded and hurried toward the corridor.
Victoria watched her leave.
VICTORIA STERLING: "Wonderful. Now the entire store is going to make a spectacle out of this."
OFFICER DANIEL REED: "The disturbance occurred in front of several customers. We need to understand what happened."