Chapter 18
I took a slow, deliberate step toward him. Victor shrank back against the heavy steel door, pressing his shoulders into the cold metal as if he could phase through it. All the arrogance, the mockery, the years of calling me a handyman—it had all evaporated, leaving only a hollow, terrified shell of a man.
I leaned closer, invading his space, ensuring he heard every single word over the pounding of the police outside.
"You used a network I built," I whispered, my tone lethal and precise. "You forged financial documents on property owned by Emily’s trust, which my lawyers monitor. And you just confessed to kidnapping, assault, and extortion on an open emergency line that was recorded by a federal server."
The main sliding door at the front of the warehouse rattled violently as deputies outside prepared to breach the drop-bolt I had thrown.
Fear, pure and unadulterated, finally entered Victor's eyes. His pupils were blown wide, his jaw trembling.
"You thought you targeted a helpless girl," I said, stepping back and gesturing to Emily, who stood tall and defiant. "You thought she was an easy mark."
"Open the door! Now!" the sheriff bellowed from outside.
I didn't take my eyes off Victor. "You didn't target a helpless girl, Victor. You targeted the only family in this state that had the resources, the skills, and the motive to prove absolutely everything."
I walked over to the front door, grabbed the heavy steel bolt, and threw it open.
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A flood of tactical flashlights and drawn weapons spilled into the warehouse. "Show me your hands! Get down!"
Victor dropped to his knees instantly, raising his hands in surrender. Laura stayed sobbing on the floor as deputies swarmed them, clicking handcuffs tightly around their wrists.
