A sharp, piercing scream suddenly tore through the air of the lobby, slicing through the calm like a blade.
Everyone froze.
Even Cecilia's heart skipped a beat, her breath catching in her throat.
Time seemed to freeze for a moment. Then, a ripple of gasps and whispers swept through the crowd, like a rising tide, filling every corner of the marble-floored hall.
The source of the scream was a middle-aged woman, her anger flaring like wildfire. Her eyes were bloodshot, her lips twisted in fury, and her fingers clenched into trembling fists as she lunged at Cecilia.
"What… what are you saying? I—" Cecilia barely managed to speak before a searing pain shot through her shoulder, as if fire had erupted along her arm.
The woman's punch landed hard, sending Cecilia stumbling back a step. Pain flared through her body, and she instinctively raised her arms to protect herself, her wide eyes full of disbelief.
