Violet's eyes swam with tears, as if she'd suffered some monstrous injustice. But the sidelong look she threw me was pure smugness.

Enough with the act.

I flexed my wrist and fixed my gaze on her.

"Miles Farley, it was this little songbird of yours who knocked the chopsticks out of my hand first. I hadn't even opened my mouth, and now she's playing the innocent."

Violet squeezed out a single tear, her voice so cloying it made my skin crawl.

"Miles, I know Anna comes from a poor background, so she's used to solving everything with her fists, and her words come out harsh…"

"But she can't just throw dirt on me and the girls out of nowhere. It's so unfair to all of us…"

Her circle of friends chimed in one after another, all of them insisting I'd struck first.

They wore me down with their noise, and the anger I'd been holding in my chest finally broke loose.

Fine, fine, fine. If you say I struck first, then I'll show you what striking first looks like.

I shot to my feet and crossed to Violet in an instant.

Both hands, back and forth, ten hard slaps with everything I had.

The room went dead silent.

Then Violet screamed.

"Blood—"

"Miles… it hurts so much…"

She wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth, her eyes on me full of fear and hate.

I gave her swollen, puffed-up face a light glance.

"Satisfied now?"

After a brief silence, Violet's little circle erupted.

"Mr. Farley, everyone knows you rule Kingsport, and Violet is the one you hold dearest."

"For her to dare hit Violet is hitting the face of Kingsport's number-one heir!"

They egged him on, one line after another, fanning the flames.

Miles's face went iron-gray. He strode up to me and clamped down on my arm.

"You worthless bitch, don't think just because my father introduced you I won't touch you!"

"On your knees! Kowtow to Violet a hundred times, hard enough to hear it, or I'll make sure you walk in standing and go out flat!"

In all my life, no one had ever dared lay a finger on me.

With my right hand I raised my glass and smashed it against the table.

Then I snatched up a shard and drove it at the hand gripping my arm.

He couldn't dodge in time and let go.

Before he could recover, I kicked him back.

He lost his footing and dropped into a chair, red-faced with rage.

"You really are sick of living!"

He raised his right hand and gave the order. "Get her! I don't care if she lives or dies!"

The dozen or so bodyguards behind him rushed forward at once, holding nothing back.

My father had brought in an heir of close-combat martial arts to train me since I was small, but there were simply too many of them.

I went down fast.

Miles had knocked my phone to the floor again, so there was no way to call for help.

In the split second I was trying to find an opening, a dagger drove hard into my right shoulder.

The pain broke a cold sweat over me. I gritted my teeth and warned him.

"Miles Farley, you're the one who doesn't want to live!"

"Hurt me, and the whole Farley family isn't enough to pay it back!"

Violet and her pack of friends burst out laughing.

"You country bumpkin, I think you've lost your mind."

"The Farleys have their hands everywhere. Even if you die right here today, no one will dare say a single word against it."

Her tone was haughty, her eyes bright with the pleasure of a long-awaited revenge.

I backed toward the wall, edging step by step into the corner.

Miles thought I'd finally lost my nerve, and grew even more arrogant.

"Keep going! Beat her until she can't move!"

Violet leaned against Miles's chest, her smile brimming with a victor's smugness.

The whole crowd watched me like it was a show, as if I were an ant they could crush underfoot whenever they pleased.

Finally.

Got it.

I pressed the button hard.

All at once, the alarm blared out.