Chapter 5 - THE PUBLIC HUMILIATION
"You can't do this!" Estela shrieked, her aristocratic veneer shattering into a million jagged pieces as the two security guards stepped forward, each placing a firm, unyielding hand on her arms. "Do you know who my husband is? Do you know what kind of clients I bring here? You're listening to a servant over a paying customer!"
"You were a paying customer for about twenty minutes," Marcos replied coldly, turning his back on her to pour a glass of sparkling water for Lourdes. "And now you're an unwelcome trespasser. Get her out of my sight."
The guards didn't hesitate. They lifted Estela—despite her frantic kicking and screaming—and marched her out of the VIP room, straight through the center of the main dining room.
Every single eye in Casa D’Ouro turned to watch the spectacle. The wealthy patrons who had spent the last hour whispering enviously about Estela’s designer clothes now stared in open mockery. Phones were pulled out under tables; cameras captured the great socialite being dragged out of the city's most exclusive restaurant by security guards, her hair disheveled, her face flushed with absolute humiliation.
"Let go of me! Don't touch me! This is defamation! I'll sue you all!" Estela screamed as she was unceremoniously heaved through the massive oak front doors and dumped onto the hot concrete sidewalk outside.
The heavy doors clicked shut behind her, cutting off her shrill cries.
Inside, the restaurant went quiet for a moment, and then, slowly, a soft wave of polite conversation resumed, as if a toxic cloud had been lifted from the room.
Lourdes sat stunned in the VIP salon, watching the drama unfold through the glass. She looked at Marcos, her hands shaking. "Marquinhos... her husband... he's a very powerful developer. He has contracts with the city. You might have made a dangerous enemy today just for me."
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Marcos smiled softly, pulling out his chair and sitting back down across from her. He reached out and gently covered her trembling hand with his warm one.
"Let him come," Marcos said, his eyes hard with confidence. "Nobody touches my family. And you, Lourdes... you are my family."
