The luxury hotel hallway was a cathedral of gold-trimmed mirrors and hushed silence. Clara walked toward the elevators, the sharp click of her heels the only sound on the plush carpet. She adjusted her blazer, checking her schedule.
"Meeting with Arthur at noon," she muttered. "Great. The 'Golden Boy' probably brought another bouquet of apologies."
She rounded the corner and nearly collided with a wall of pink silk.
Daisy stood there. They both stopped.
Clara let out a dramatic, weary sigh.
"Oh, look. The human fountain." She gestured lazily toward the elevator button. "If you're here to cry about the lake again, I've already heard the lecture from Julian. Move aside. I'm late."
Suddenly, the trembling stopped.
Daisy didn't shrink. She didn't look down. Her entire expression went stone-cold, the innocent shimmer in her eyes evaporating into something sharp and metallic.
"You really think you're clever, don't you... Seraphina?"
Clara froze, her finger hovering over the button. "...Excuse me?"
Daisy stepped closer, her voice dropping to a jagged whisper.
"You're embarrassing. You think because you changed your wardrobe and started acting confident that Arthur will suddenly fall for you?" She laughed, a soft, chilling sound. "He doesn't love you. He pities you. You're like a stray dog he feeds because he feels guilty."
Clara tilted her head, genuinely stunned.
"Hold on. Where did that personality come from? Did someone swap you with a villain during lunch?"
Daisy smirks, her eyes flashing with a predatory malice.
"And Julian? He's my shadow. He'll never leave me because I'm the only thing that lets him play the hero. One man is my heart. The other is my shield." She looked Clara up and down with pure disdain. "And you? You're just an extra in my story. Know your place."
Clara stood there for a beat, processing the shift. Then, she began to clap—slowly, mockingly.
"Wow. I take it back. You're not a fountain." Clara smirked, leaning against the gold trim.
"You're a snake with a lace handkerchief. Honestly? I'm almost impressed. But if you think I'm going to let you—"
Daisy's eyes flicked toward the end of the hallway. The elevator dinged.
"Oh..." Daisy smiled faintly, her face shifting back into the mask of a victim in a split second. "Perfect timing."
"Who?"
Before Clara could react, Daisy lunged forward and grabbed Clara's wrist.
"Hey—!"
Daisy yanked Clara's hand toward her own shoulder and then threw herself backward with practiced violence.
CRASH.
A decorative porcelain vase shattered as Daisy hit the floor, glass shards scattering like diamonds across the carpet.
"Seraphina, please!!" Daisy screamed, her eyes instantly flooding with tears. "I'm sorry!! I didn't mean to make you angry! Please don't hurt me again!"
Clara stood frozen, her hand still hanging in mid-air. "You have GOT to be kidding me."
The elevator doors slid fully open. Arthur and Julian rushed out, their faces pale.
They saw the wreckage immediately: Daisy curled on the floor, glass everywhere, and Clara standing over her like a triumphant conqueror.
"Daisy!!" Arthur ran to her side, dropping to his knees. "Are you hurt? Are you bleeding?"
Daisy trembled, burying her face in his chest.
"I'm okay... please don't blame her... she didn't mean it..."
Julian walked toward Clara. His expression was a dark, unreadable storm.
"Seraphina."
"Oh, thank god," Clara pointed at the floor. "Please tell me at least ONE of you saw that stunt. She threw herself like an Olympic diver!"
"I only asked her if she wanted to join us for lunch..." Daisy sobbed into Arthur's shirt. "She said she wished I had drowned in the lake..."
Arthur stiffened. Julian's hand shot out, his grip on Clara's arm painfully tight.
"Enough," Julian's voice was deadly calm.
"Ow! Julian, relax! Look at the glass—it's all behind her!"
"I warned you," Julian growled, his eyes boring into hers. "I warned you what would happen if you touched her again."
"Touched her?!" Clara gestured wildly. "She just gave me a villain monologue about owning both of you! She literally called me a stray dog!"
Arthur wouldn't even look at her. Julian began dragging Clara toward the hallway exit.
"Arthur. Take Daisy to the doctor. I'll handle Seraphina."
"Handle me?!" Clara struggled, her heels skidding on the carpet.
"Julian, use your brain for two seconds! The 'Golden Boy' is getting played and you're acting like her personal attack dog!"
Julian stopped. His eyes were ice. "The only liar here is you. You pretended to change, but you're just more dangerous now."
He pulled her forward again. As he dragged her toward the stairs, Clara glanced back over her shoulder.
Daisy was still sobbing in Arthur's arms. But for a fleeting second, she looked directly at Clara. She stopped crying. She gave Clara a tiny, slow wink.
Then, she buried her face again. "Arthur... I'm scared..."
Clara's blood turned to liquid fire. She stopped fighting Julian's grip and clenched her free fist.
Oh, it's on now, White Lotus, Clara thought, her eyes burning with a new, cold determination.
You want a villain? I'll give you a masterpiece.