Before Madame Danglars made her grand announcement about Eugénie's engagement to Andrea Cavalcanti, there was a confrontation that changed everything. Let's rewind to that morning, a day that would become known for its disasters, and step inside the lavish golden salon of Baron Danglars himself.
Around ten in the morning, the banker paced back and forth across his showpiece drawing room. His eyes darted between the two doors, his ears straining at every sound. Minutes crawled by. Finally, his patience snapped.
"Étienne!" he barked at his servant. "Find out why my daughter asked to meet me here and then makes me wait like some common beggar."
Venting helped. He took a breath and forced himself to calm down.
