The man was clearly inebriated as he pinned Gabrielle down, sloppily kissing her face with unwanted affection.
Gabrielle, weakened by alcohol, struggled in vain, her eyes shut tight as tears streamed down her cheeks.
Estelle turned to leave, but then she heard the unmistakable sound of fabric ripping—Gabrielle’s dress had been
torn off.
“Estelle!” Gabrielle’s choked sobs barely carried over the din of the raucous party.
Drawing in a deep breath, Estelle spun on her heel and marched back, confronting the man. “Let her go!”
Gabrielle turned her head with effort towards Estelle, her eyes brimming with fear and a silent plea for help.
The man was tall and burly, his belt undone, as he menacingly turned to Estelle, sneering, “Isn’t a bridesmaid just
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtparty entertainment?”
This wasn’t drunken misconduct, it was intentional. The Langston family was in the entertainment business and with
the myriad of guests, it was inevitable that a few bad apples would surface.
As Estelle approached the brute, his eyes glinted with malice. “Care to join the fun?”
His taunt was cut short when Estelle’s foot connected with his chest, sending him staggering backwards as if struck
by a sledgehammer.
Enraged, the man shrugged off his jacket, revealing tattooed arms, and with a vicious glare, he grabbed a nearby
chair to swing at Estelle.
Estelle caught the chair mid-swing, stepping closer and slapping him hard across the face, sending a tooth flying.
Dazed, the man leaned against the wall, gasping for air when the sound of shattering wood filled the room—Estelle
had smashed the chair over his head.
Dropping the broken chair leg, Estelle kicked open a window and, grabbing the man’s shirt, flung him out.
She moved with a ruthless efficiency that left no room for hesitation, dazzling to any onlooker.
A scream echoed from below. Estelle peered out the window to see the man writhing on the ground. The two-story
fall hadn’t killed him, but his leg was likely broken, judging by his howls.
His cries attracted a waiter, who looked up in shock at Estelle.
With a calm that belied the situation, Estelle said, “Take him to see a doctor, or if that’s too much trouble, find a
place to bury him.”
The waiter, speechless, quickly fetched another to help carry the injured man away.
Estelle turned back to Gabrielle.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏm
The fright had sobered Gabrielle up a bit. When she saw Estelle turn, she shivered.
“You’re Gabrielle. I’ll remember that,” Estelle said with a slight smile.
Gabrielle nearly fainted.
Estelle walked over, draped the torn dress back over her, and gave her arm a tug. “Can you walk?”
Leaning against the wall, Gabrielle stood up, her gaze fixed nervously on Estelle.
Estelle led her to a guest room, dumped her on the bed, and headed for the door.
Outside, she instructed a waiter, “There’s a drunk guest in this room, lock the door and don’t let anyone in.”
The waiter nodded understandingly, “Rest assured, we’ll ensure the guest’s safety.”
With a curt nod, Estelle departed.
Xavier Flemmings had also received an invitation. Busy with his store during the day, he arrived late, and after
greeting Magdalen, he stepped outside to chat with Estelle on the steps.