Inside one of the suite hotel rooms, the crash of breaking glass echoed off the walls, followed by the dull thud of something heavy hitting the floor. A vase lay shattered near the window, red wine spreading like blood across the carpet. The curtains swayed from the gust of an earlier throw, their folds catching the dim light of the chandelier that flickered overhead.
Amid the chaos, Lucia's ragged breathing filled the silence between bursts of destruction. Her chest rose and fell rapidly, her hair, once sleek and radiant, now clung to her face, its copper-red strands glinting in uneven shadows. The taste of fury and humiliation lingered in her mouth like metal.
It was lucky the whole wings had already been booked beforehand, so her rampage didn't bother the other guests...except one. A moment later, there was a knock, two short, deliberate taps that seemed almost mocking.
Knock. Knock.
It took several seconds before the door creaked open.
