Heavy footsteps echoed through the hallway.
Lily looked up.
A man dressed in a black suit slowly approached.
In his hand was a baseball bat.
Fear instantly took control.
To Lily, the situation seemed obvious.
Her mother had been attacked.
Now a strange man carrying a weapon was walking toward them.
She immediately moved in front of Victoria.
Her small body shaking with fear.
The man continued walking.
His expression remained unreadable.
Lily's tears streamed down her cheeks.
"Leave her alone!"
She screamed with all her strength.
The words echoed throughout the hallway.
The man stopped.
For several seconds, nobody moved.
Then his eyes shifted toward the injured woman on the floor.
The moment he saw Victoria clearly, everything changed.
The confidence disappeared from his face.
Shock replaced it.
The baseball bat slowly lowered.
His breathing became uneven.
Something about Victoria's identity had completely stunned him.