Chapter 3

Lana's stiletto clicked sharply against the marble floor. She reached the bottom of the staircase.

The crowd parted automatically. They instinctively yielded to the overwhelming, predatory pressure she exuded.

Quinn stepped forward. She forced a sweet, sisterly smile onto her face. Her eyes darted nervously over Lana's flawless appearance.

Quinn reached out to touch Lana's arm.

"Lana, are you feeling better after your clumsy little accident?" Quinn asked loudly.

Lana did not even blink. She smoothly side-stepped Quinn's touch. She moved as if avoiding a piece of garbage on the street.

Quinn's hand grasped empty air. Her face flushed with genuine embarrassment. A few socialites nearby began to whisper.

Serena Beaumont pushed through the crowd. Her face was tight with suppressed rage and panic at Lana's reappearance.

Serena grabbed Lana's elbow hard.

"Go back upstairs right now. Stop seeking attention," Serena hissed through clenched teeth.

Lana looked down at Serena's hand on her elbow. Her gaze was so terrifyingly cold that Serena instinctively let go.

Lana adjusted her silk strap.

"I have unfinished business with the Carlisle family," Lana stated loudly and clearly.

The Carlisle Trio stood near the indoor fountain. They exchanged nervous, mocking glances. They tried to maintain their bravado.

The lead girl, Chloe Carlisle, scoffs loudly.

"Go back to the trailer park before I call security, freak," Chloe said.

Lana began walking toward them. Her pace was slow, rhythmic, and entirely unbothered by the murmuring crowd.

Two estate security guards stepped into Lana's path. Serena frantically gestured for them to intercept her.

Lana did not break stride. She targeted the lead guard's radial nerve. She delivered a lightning-fast, two-finger strike to his forearm.

The guard's arm went entirely numb. He stumbled sideways, dropping his radio to the floor in shock.

The second guard hesitated. He was intimidated by the casual, surgical violence. He stepped back, allowing Lana to pass freely.

Lana stopped two feet away from Chloe Carlisle. She towered over her with a dead-eyed, sociopathic calm.

Chloe panicked. She tried to throw her champagne in Lana's face to create a distraction.

Lana's left hand shot up. She caught Chloe's wrist mid-air. She forced the glass backward, spilling the champagne all over Chloe's own designer dress.

Chloe shrieked. Before she could pull away, Lana swept her leg.

Chloe dropped hard onto her knees, hitting the marble floor with a loud thud.

The other two girls lunged forward to help their friend. They screamed about assault.

Lana pivoted on her heel. She grabbed the second girl by the collar and shoved her violently into the third.

Both girls crashed into the decorative floral arrangement. They tangled themselves in vines and shattered glass vases.

Lana dropped her knee onto Chloe's back. She pinned her to the marble floor with precise, inescapable leverage.

She slid the heavy-duty plastic zip-tie off her own wrist with a sharp snap.

Lana grabbed Chloe's flailing wrists. She crossed them behind her back with brutal efficiency.

She threaded the zip-tie. She pulled it tight. The loud, ratcheting sound echoed clearly in the silent ballroom.

Chloe began to sob hysterically. She screamed for her parents as her hands were completely immobilized.

Lana stood up slowly. She dusted off her hands. She turned her cold gaze to the other two terrified girls scrambling on the floor.