All the cameras swung toward May and her sisters, flashes exploding in their faces as reporters surged forward.
"Miss May! What do you have to say about Mr. Zander's proposal?" one reporter shouted.
"Miss May, are you the rumored mistress who was spotted with Mr. Zander at this hotel before?" another pushed.
Her sisters instinctively moved closer, shielding her from the aggressive crowd.
Then suddenly—
A sharp slap echoed through the hall.
Luciana had stepped forward and struck May across the face.
The entire room went silent.
May staggered slightly from the impact, stunned — but she didn't retaliate. Instead, she slowly lifted her hand, signaling her sisters to step back.
"Had enough, Luciana?" she asked in a dark, icy voice.
The tone alone made Luciana stiffen. Even her sisters felt the shift. They knew that voice. They knew what it meant.
May was barely holding herself back.
"May, just let it go," June whispered urgently. "We'll sort this out tomorrow. Let's just leave."
Across the hall, Zander Oliviere watched the scene unfold, a faint grin playing on his lips.
"You home-wrecker," Luciana spat. "You good-for-nothing adopted lapdog. You knew he was married, and you still came between us to ruin our lives!"
Gasps rippled through the crowd.
May inhaled slowly.
"Is that all?" she asked calmly. "If you're done, I'd like to enjoy the rest of my night."
Her composure only fueled Luciana's fury.
May then turned toward the reporters.
"Distinguished guests, dear reporters," she said coolly, "stop flashing those cameras. One drama is enough for tonight. Why don't you use these allegations to write something juicy for tomorrow's headlines?"
She paused, her eyes glinting.
"Dazzle me."
With that, she turned and walked out of the hall as if nothing had happened.
---
Outside, April let out a breath.
"Wow… that was intense."
"At least May didn't do anything reckless," August added quietly.
June on the other hand was informing her manager that she would be leaving now.
"I didn't do anything, right?" May said casually. "Besides, I'm sleepy. The party was boring anyway."
She gave a small shrug.
"I'll head to the car and take a nap. You guys can wait for June."
The sisters exchanged looks.
They knew better.
May may have walked away tonight…
But something inside her had shifted.
And they all felt it.