Chapter 6: The Public Crime Scene and the Collapse of the Vales
Preston’s polished politician facade completely shattered. He lunged across the podium toward me, his hands clawing desperately at the air. "You ruined everything, you ungrateful bitch! I built this empire! You were nothing without me!" Before he could reach me, the heavy oak double doors banged open once more, and four uniformed police officers, led by a senior detective with a federal warrant binder, swarmed into the penthouse. "Preston Vale? Camille Westbrook? Vivian Vale?" the lead detective called out, his voice sharp and absolute. "You are under arrest for grand larceny, wire fraud, identity theft, and corporate forgery." Heavy steel handcuffs were snapped onto Preston’s wrists first, his expensive tuxedo jacket rumpled as he was yanked roughly away from the podium, howling profanities and screaming that his lawyers would bury us all. Vivian collapsed into a velvet armchair, clutching her pearls as officers read her her rights, while Camille was pinned against the glass balcony wall, her cold, untouchable beauty completely melted into pathetic, tearful terror. I stood tall in the center of the room, watching the architects of my family's betrayal get hauled away in chains, knowing that the nightmare was finally, irreversibly over.
