Chapter 2: The Doors Stayed Closed

No one spoke.

The only sound left in the ballroom was the soft hum of the emergency lighting and the distant click of dress shoes against marble as people slowly backed away from the man who had attacked me.

He forced out a laugh.

"You've lost your mind."

"Open these doors."

I didn't answer him.

Instead, I looked toward the grand staircase.

A team of uniformed security officers entered the ballroom in calm, measured formation.

There was no shouting.

No panic.

Just professionalism.

Their leader approached me first.

"Ma'am, the estate has been secured."

"Medical personnel are waiting outside."

"And the authorities have been notified."

My attacker pointed at me.

"You can't hold people here!"

The security chief met his eyes.

"No one is being detained without legal authority."

He gestured toward the sealed entrances.

"The temporary lockdown was activated because of a reported violent assault while law enforcement was en route. It exists to preserve the scene and protect everyone present."

A murmur spread through the crowd.

People who had remained silent minutes earlier began looking at one another uneasily.

One woman stepped forward.

"I saw him shove her into the wall."

Another guest nodded.

"I saw it too."

A third quietly added,

"The cameras would have recorded everything."

The attacker's face drained of color.

He slowly turned toward the security cameras mounted above the ballroom.

For the first time that evening, he realized they had never stopped recording.