The moments before the slap had felt ordinary enough, at least to everyone else in the ballroom. String musicians played softly near the far wall, waiters moved gracefully between tables balancing trays of champagne, and conversation buzzed at a comfortable, wealthy hum throughout the room. Aria had positioned herself near a quiet corner, trying to remain unnoticed, one hand resting on her belly as she felt the baby shift gently inside her. She had come tonight for reasons she hadn't shared with anyone, reasons that had nothing to do with socializing or being seen.
Camille Voss noticed her almost immediately. It wasn't difficult; Aria's simple navy dress stood out sharply against the sea of designer gowns and glittering jewelry surrounding her. Camille had built her entire reputation on maintaining the exclusivity of rooms exactly like this one, and a pregnant stranger dressed modestly, standing quietly without an escort or an obvious invitation, struck her as precisely the kind of oversight she refused to allow to continue.
"Excuse me," Camille said sharply, approaching with the practiced confidence of a woman who had never once been told no. "I don't believe I've seen you at any of our events before. Who exactly invited you tonight?"
Aria straightened, choosing her words carefully. "I was invited," she said calmly, though her voice wavered slightly under the weight of Camille's cold stare. "I don't need to explain myself further than that."
Camille's expression hardened immediately. "You don't need to explain yourself?" she repeated, her voice rising just enough to draw the attention of nearby guests. "Look at you. Standing here, clearly pregnant, dressed like you wandered in from the parking garage. This is not the kind of event where we simply let anyone wander in off the street."
A few guests nearby exchanged uncomfortable glances, sensing the tension building but unwilling to intervene in Camille's business, a woman whose influence extended into nearly every social and business circle in the city. Aria felt her chest tighten, embarrassment and anger swirling together as she tried to maintain her composure in front of an audience that clearly wasn't going to help her.
"I think you should lower your voice," Aria said quietly, attempting to defuse the situation without causing a larger scene. It was the wrong thing to say. Camille's hand moved before Aria even registered what was happening, the sharp crack of the slap echoing off the marble floors and high ceilings, silencing the entire ballroom in an instant.