His voice was bright, sweet in that practiced, childish way, but there was something smug underneath it, something that didn't belong to innocence at all.
"Auntie Adriana, wasn't I awesome? Don't forget the Transformers toy you promised me!"
The message ended with a soft click.
And just like that, everything fell into place.
Every detail. Every movement. Every perfectly timed reaction from last night.
It hadn't been an accident.
None of it had.
My instincts screamed at me to leave. To get out of there immediately before things escalated further. But before I could even take a step back, Adriana moved.
Fast.
She snatched the cup of tea straight out of my hands.
Before I could react, she tilted it and poured it over her own head.
The liquid splashed down her hair, soaking through the strands and dripping over her face, her neck, her blouse. It wasn't hot anymore, the tea long gone cold, but that didn't matter. The effect was exactly what she wanted.
Then, without hesitation, she slammed the ceramic cup onto the ground.
Right at my feet.
It shattered instantly.
The sharp crack echoed through the room as fragments of porcelain exploded outward. Several pieces skidded across the floor, a few slicing lightly into my ankles.
A sharp sting followed, but I barely registered it.
Adriana stood there, drenched, her hair clinging to her face in messy strands, her blouse soaked and sticking to her skin. She looked utterly disheveled.
Pitiful.
Humiliated.
Perfect.
This woman wasn't just ruthless. She was terrifying.
Before I could move past her, she stepped forward, blocking my path completely.
And then she screamed.
"Elena! What are you doing?! Why would you hurt me like this?!"
Her voice was high, shrill, and filled with raw, trembling emotion.
It carried. Through the front office, past the half-open doors where Bellomo associates nursed their morning espressos, into the back rooms where soldiers and runners kept their heads down and their ears open. Within seconds, the social club began to stir. Doors opened. Chairs scraped. People rushed in from every direction, drawn by the commotion.
But Adriana wasn't done.
Not even close.
She picked up her coffee, her hand trembling just enough to make it look real, and splashed it across her own chest.
The dark liquid spread quickly across the fabric, staining it unevenly.