"trying to ruin her aesthetic." During the argument, Chloe had violently swung her arm, striking Evelyn in the face with her metal-edged makeup mirror, cutting her cheek.
And when Brandon arrived, rather than defending his bleeding mother, he had demanded Evelyn swallow her pride and apologize so Chloe wouldn't look bad in front of her friends.
Chapter 4: The Silence of the Strings
Inside the Grand Ballroom, the atmosphere turned instantly toxic.
Chloe let out a sharp, mocking laugh, turning to her maid of honor. "She thinks she can scare us! She doesn't own this hotel! She's just an old woman throwing a temper tantrum!"
"Why did the music stop?" a guest at Table 4 whispered.
Chloe turned her head sharply toward the main stage at the front of the ballroom.
The eight-piece classical string orchestra—all dressed in matching custom tuxedos—had stopped playing mid-measure. The lead violinist slowly set his bow down on his music stand, tapped his microphone twice, and stood up.