Catherine stepped into Clara’s personal space, her face twisted in aggressive sneers as she screamed at the mother and child. "She is five years old!" Clara shouted back, her voice shaking with righteous fury as she held her daughter close. "You shoved her down and now you strike me in front of her!" Clara looked across the table for support, but the older couple sitting at the head of the table—the family patriarch and matriarch dressed in formal evening wear—remained cold and indifferent. The older man merely waved his hand dismissively, casually stating that Clara should take the crying girl somewhere else because the noise was ruining his expensive dinner.
Validation from the family patriarch only fueled Catherine’s arrogance. She threw her head back and laughed mockingly at Clara, taunting her for having no power or influence within the Vance family empire. Catherine believed that as the primary heir to the corporate fortune, she held complete control over everyone in the household. But as Catherine continued her cruel taunts, Clara took a deep breath, her tearful expression hardening into a look of absolute, icy resolve. She reached into her handbag and pulled out her smartphone, unlocking a high-level corporate banking interface.