Chapter 17 - The Mother's Downfall
The chaos was interrupted by the frantic clicking of high heels in the hallway. Beatrice Vale, Ethan’s mother, burst into the emergency department. She was a vision of chaotic wealth, wearing a designer silk coat and a pair of massive, flawless diamond earrings that caught the harsh hospital light.
She spotted Ethan in handcuffs and shrieked, pointing a manicured finger at me through the glass doors. "What have you done to my son? That ungrateful, hysterical woman is destroying our family!"
Chloe stepped out of the trauma bay, blocking Beatrice’s path. She looked the older woman up and down, her eyes settling on the sparkling jewelry.
"Mrs. Vale," Chloe said, her voice dripping with lethal politeness. "Those are stunning earrings. Custom Cartier, if I'm not mistaken? Purchased three months ago through a vendor account registered to a 'B-Vale Logistics'?"
Beatrice froze, her hand instinctively flying up to cover the diamonds. The blood left her face. She realized too late that she had worn the evidence.
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Two financial crimes detectives, who had arrived to take custody of Ethan, stepped forward. "Beatrice Vale?" the lead detective asked. "We'd like to ask you a few questions about your shell companies and the four point eight million dollars missing from Apex Development."
By 2:00 a.m., Beatrice was being escorted down the hallway to a separate interrogation room, loudly demanding a lawyer. Ethan watched his mother being led away, the final pillar of his world collapsing.
