Chapter 3

Cody let out a loud, wet hiccup and took two heavy steps toward Eleonora.

He used his height to loom over her, his bloodshot eyes filled with absolute contempt.

The guests in the foyer crossed their arms and formed a tight half-circle around them, eager to watch the drama unfold.

The sour stench of cheap whiskey mixed with an overpowering, expensive cologne hit Eleonora's nose. Her stomach churned, and she pulled her brows together in deep disgust.

She didn't waste a single word on him. She shifted her duffel bag and tried to step through the narrow gap between Cody and the staircase railing.

Feeling ignored, Cody's face flushed a darker shade of red. He lunged forward, throwing his thick arm out to grab her shoulder.

Eleonora's body reacted on pure instinct, honed by the countless physical traumas she had endured in her prophetic nightmares.

She dropped her shoulder, twisted her torso sideways, and slid her right foot back. Cody's sweaty hand grasped nothing but empty air.

Because he had thrown his entire weight into the grab, his momentum carried him forward. He stumbled hard, his heavy boots slipping on the polished marble.

The whiskey sloshed out of his glass, splashing directly onto his expensive white suit pants.

A muffled ripple of laughter erupted from the circle of guests.

Cody's face twisted in pure rage. He spun around, glaring at Eleonora as if he wanted to rip her apart with his bare hands.

Suddenly, his eyes locked onto the vintage Chanel bag peeking out from the unzipped top of Eleonora's duffel bag.

It was a limited-edition piece, a priceless heirloom left behind by Eleonora's mother that she had carefully tucked away for safekeeping.

Cody, a street-level thug who only knew brands from rap videos, pointed a shaking finger at the exposed leather and screamed.

"You thief! That's my cousin Addi's bag! How the hell did you steal that?"

The crowd gasped. The looks of disgust directed at Eleonora instantly morphed into open hostility and contempt.

The blond boy who had blocked her earlier immediately chimed in. "I knew it! I saw her sneaking around the porch earlier. She's a burglar!"

Empowered by the crowd's support, Cody grinned maliciously. He lunged forward again, this time reaching directly for the exposed strap of the Chanel bag.

Eleonora's eyes turned pitch black. She stopped dodging.

Her hand shot out like a striking snake. Her fingers locked around Cody's thick wrist with terrifying precision.

Using the brutal mechanics of Krav Maga, she pivoted on her heel, using her entire body weight as leverage. She twisted his arm inward and snapped it downward with explosive force.

A sharp, sickening crack echoed over the music.

Cody let out a high-pitched scream of agony. His knees buckled instantly, and he crashed onto the marble floor, forced to kneel directly at Eleonora's feet. A sudden wave of dizziness washed over Eleonora from the explosive exertion. Her right hand trembled slightly under the sleeve of her coat, a harsh reminder of her frail, recovering body, but she forced her posture to remain perfectly still.

Eleonora stared down at him. Sweat poured down his pale face, his features contorted in pain. She looked at him as if he were a piece of rotting trash.

Dead silence fell over the foyer. The wealthy teenagers stared in absolute horror at the frail-looking girl who had just broken a grown man's wrist in a split second.

Cody slapped his good hand against the floor, screaming, "Security! Grab this crazy bitch! Kill her!"

Heavy footsteps pounded against the marble. Five estate security guards, dressed in tactical black, rushed through the crowd with their batons drawn.

The new head of security saw Cody writhing on the floor and immediately pointed his baton at Eleonora. "Separate them!" he barked at his men, before turning a stern eye to Eleonora. "Ma'am, please stay exactly where you are. We need to understand what happened here before anyone else gets hurt."

Eleonora released Cody's wrist. She calmly brushed a nonexistent speck of dust off her trench coat.

She stared at the closing circle of guards, her posture relaxed, her breathing perfectly steady. She didn't step back.

Just as the closest guard raised his hand to grab her collar, a furious, booming voice shattered the tension from the top of the spiral staircase.

"Stop this instantly!"