Chapter 3 - The Breaking Point
The snowstorm outside showed no sign of letting up, trapping everyone inside the estate. Mrs. Gable's cruelty toward Nora reached a climax when she demanded the young maid move heavy furniture in the grand parlor to prepare for an unexpected meeting of Lorenzo’s associates. Despite her physical pain and obvious distress, Nora complied out of fear of losing her job and being cast out into the freezing weather.
While attempting to lift a massive wooden chest, Nora collapsed onto the polished marble floor, overwhelmed by pain and dizziness. Rather than offering aid, Mrs. Gable berated her for being weak and threatened to terminate her employment on the spot if she did not clean up the mess.
From his wheelchair near the parlor hallway, where he had been wheeled earlier by a careless staff member, Giovanni witnessed the entire encounter. Though his body remained mostly immobile, an intense rage flared in his eyes. He forced a tiny, strained sound from his throat—the first sound he had made in years—attracting the attention of a nearby bodyguard who was passing through the corridor.
