"With a tongue that sharp, I might just have to silence it for good," Maude thought.

    Vespera and the others had already reached the main entrance of the banquet hall.

    With a swift tug, Vespera grabbed the door handle-but it was locked.

    The others behind her grew visibly anxious when they realized the door wouldn''t budge.

    "Mrs. Dawson, what the hell are you trying to do? Are you nning to kidnap us all?" Fawn finally snapped.

    It was rare for Fawn to lose her calm, but in that moment, panic had taken control. All she wanted was to get out.

    Reba quickly pulled out her phone. "There''s no signal. Fantastic. Looks like we''re being kidnapped."

    Yasmine muttered under her breath, "...Thework''s really down! But we can''t let this fail."

    She stepped forward. "Mrs. Dawson, please, don''t frighten everyone. I understand you''ve worked hard to make this ball a standout event, but scaring us all half to death wasn''t exactly part of the n, was it?"

    Emily, too, wore a look of confusion.

    She quickly rushed to the door, tugging at the handle. "Why won''t it open? I don''t understand what''s happening!"

    The moment they realized the door was locked and there was no signal, panic began to take hold of everyone in the room.

    "There''s really no signal."

    "What''s going on? Why is the door locked, Mrs. Dawson? Have you lost your mind?"

    "If anything happens to me, my family will destroy you!"

    "Open the door! Open it, now!"

    Despite their usual pride and haughty demeanor, thedies were reduced to anxious, powerless figures in an instant.

    Meanwhile, Emily continued to

    apologize. "I had no idea this would happen Maybe the main door lock is just stuck. I''ve already sent someone to open the side entrance for you all."

    Unbothered, Maude cast a sweeping nce over the chaos before calmly making her way up the winding staircase.

    Suddenly, a voice rang out behind her. "Is this the work of that witch? You can''t just walk away-someone stop her!"

    But no one moved.

    From above, Maude''s gaze was as sharp and cold as a de, as if she were looking right through a corpse. The woman who had been shouting immediately fell silent under the weight of that chilling stare.

    The banquet hall had 16 side doors.

    Emily quickly ordered her staff to open all the doors, apologizing frantically as she guided guests to different exits.

    "This is bad..." Vespera thought, ncing at Felicia and Fawn, who refused to leave her side.

    The three of them were Selena''s main targets, and those 16 doors were clearly set up to lead them straight into danger.

    "Yaz, take Ba and the others and get out of here," she said firmly.

    They were all vulnerable-there was no need to put her friends in harm''s way too.

    Fuming, Reba grabbed her arm. "What are you talking about? We came together, so we leave together!"

    Vespera let out a sigh.

    Reba''s loyalty was unwavering-there was no shaking her off now.

    "Yaz-"

    "I''m the one who brought you all to this ball," Yasmine interrupted. "Even though I''m scared, I''d be even more terrified if I woke up in the middle of the night to the sound of you two crying in my dreams."

    She let out a heavy sigh. "We came together, so we leave together. That''s how it''s going to be."

    Felicia and Fawn gazed at them with wide eyes, their expressions almost pitiful.

    "Well, there goes any chance we had of sneaking away!" Vespera mused inwardly.