At that moment, the weight of silence in the hall grew thicker than the air.
Every eye was trained on William Victor.
He hadn't moved a muscle since James' words pierced the hall like an arrow dipped in venom. But something in his eyes changed no, snapped.
It was a cold, unreadable fire burned in them. The calm elegance of the Victor family's eldest young master evaporated into something dangerous.
James, oblivious to the storm brewing, still wore a twisted smirk on his face. He thought he'd made a statement, and he needed to take action now.
But that smirk didn't last long.
With quiet fury, William took one step forward. Another. His shoes tapped across the marble floor like a countdown. The crowd parted like a curtain, instinctively stepping back, holding their breath.
Before anyone could blink.
"SMACK!"
A loud, bone-stinging slap echoed through the hall like thunder. James' head jerked to the side violently, and a thin gasp swept through the audience.
