Chapter 7

The heavy velvet curtains fell shut, cutting off the noise and the light of the ballroom.

The autumn wind whipped across the high-altitude balcony of The Plaza. It bit through the thin silk of Vivian's dress, but she didn't shiver.

Sophia paced near the stone railing. Her bare feet slapped against the cold marble. Her hands tearing at her own hair.

Vivian stepped out from the shadows. Her heels clicked sharply against the stone. She took a slow sip of her champagne.

Sophia spun around. Her eyes were bloodshot. The makeup smeared across her face made her look like a feral animal.

"You ruined my life!" Sophia shrieked. The wind swallowed her voice. "I was supposed to be the queen of New York! You took everything from me!"

"I just took out the trash," Vivian said coldly.

The words snapped the last thread of Sophia's sanity.

She let out a guttural scream. She lowered her head and charged. She aimed her hands directly at Vivian's chest, throwing her entire body weight forward to push Vivian over the low stone railing.

A fifty-story drop awaited.

Vivian watched the sloppy, amateur attack unfold in slow motion.

When Sophia's fingers were two inches from her dress, Vivian shifted her weight to her right heel. She slid her torso sideways. A mere four inches.

Sophia hit empty air.

Her momentum carried her forward. She shrieked as her feet slipped on the smooth marble.

Vivian didn't just watch her fall. She extended her left foot. The sharp stiletto heel caught Sophia perfectly on the ankle bone.

Sophia flipped forward. She slammed chest-first into the heavy, jagged edge of a marble planter.

Crack.

The sound of snapping ribs was loud, even over the wind.

Sophia collapsed onto the floor. She curled into a tight ball, clutching her right side. She gasped, choking on the pain. Every breath sounded wet and ragged.

Vivian calmly set her champagne glass on the planter.

She walked over to Sophia. She looked down at the writhing woman.

Vivian crouched down. She placed the sharp heel of her shoe directly onto the fabric of Sophia's dress, pinning her to the floor.

Vivian grabbed a fistful of Sophia's hair. She yanked her head back, exposing her throat.

"Listen to me very carefully," Vivian whispered. Her voice was ice. "Tell me about the car crash."

Sophia whimpered. "I don't... I don't know..."

Vivian's eyes locked onto Sophia's pupils. They dilated. A micro-expression of pure guilt twitched at the corner of Sophia's mouth.

Vivian tightened her grip on the hair. She dragged Sophia across the floor, ignoring her screams. She forced Sophia's upper body over the edge of the stone railing.

The wind howled. The dizzying drop to the street below made Sophia sob in terror.

"Three," Vivian counted down.

"No! Please!" Sophia begged, clawing blindly at the stone.

"Two." Vivian pushed her an inch further.

"It was Iris!" Sophia screamed. Tears and snot ran down her face. "Your cousin Iris Vance! She was jealous, she always hated you! She... she found the driver, I heard her talking about it! She wanted control of the junior trust! I just bullied you at school, I swear!"

Vivian's stomach dropped. The physical confirmation of her extended family's betrayal sent a wave of cold, murderous rage through her veins.

Her fingers twitched with the urge to simply let go.

Instead, Vivian yanked Sophia back and threw her onto the marble floor like a sack of garbage.

Sophia curled up, dry-heaving from the pain and terror.

Vivian stood up. She reached into her clutch and pulled out a silk handkerchief. She wiped her fingers meticulously, disgusted by the oil from Sophia's hair.

Suddenly, heavy footsteps pounded down the hallway inside.

"Sophia!" Arthur's voice bellowed.

Sophia's head snapped up. She began to drag herself toward the glass doors, leaving a smear of blood from her scraped knees.

Vivian's eyes narrowed. She quickly picked up her champagne glass. She tilted it, spilling a splash of cold wine onto her own skirt. She widened her eyes, forcing her breathing to become rapid and shallow.

The glass doors burst open.

Arthur charged onto the balcony, followed by three reporters holding heavy cameras.

Arthur saw Sophia bleeding and broken on the floor. Then he looked at Vivian, who was standing against the railing, clutching her chest in 'terror'.

Arthur's face twisted into a mask of pure hatred. He raised his heavy right hand high into the air, aiming a brutal slap directly at Vivian's face.