Victoria stepped into the room, her silk robe trailing behind her as she wiped the tears from her face with a shaking hand. "Answer me, Julian!" she demanded, her whisper turning into a sharp, desperate cry that echoed off the high ceilings and crystal chandelier. "You bring this girl into our home, into our dining room, and hold her like that right in front of me?"
Julian turned slowly to face his wife, his demeanor shifting from frantic desperation to a calm, icy composure that disturbed both women even further. "Victoria, calm down," he said smoothly, adjusting the cuffs of his white shirt as if nothing unusual had transpired. "You are jumping to conclusions about something you know nothing about. Elena was about to leave this estate forever, and I was simply ensuring she understood the conditions of her departure."
Elena looked up in shock, wiping her tear-stained cheeks with the back of her sleeve. "That's not true!" she cried out, her voice filled with newfound courage as she looked at Victoria. "Mrs. Sterling, I swear on my life I never asked for his attention! He cornered me in here! He has been threatening to fire my brother from the estate grounds if I didn't listen to him!"
The realization hit Victoria like a physical blow. She looked at her husband’s cold, calculating expression, then at the terrified young woman trembling in her maid's uniform. The illusion of a loving marriage was completely gone, replaced by the reality of a husband who used his power to control everyone around him. Victoria took a deep breath, her tearful eyes hardening with a quiet, fierce determination.