Chapter 5 - The Raid
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The paramedics worked with terrifying, practiced speed. They lifted me onto a portable stretcher, strapping me in securely as another violent contraction wracked my body.
They carried me swiftly through the grand reception area, bursting out of the service corridor and directly onto the main terrace. Three hundred beautifully dressed guests stood completely frozen beside untouched flutes of expensive champagne.
Celeste’s massive wedding video screens still displayed her smiling, flawless portrait on a continuous loop, but right behind me, heavily armed state investigators were actively kicking open office doors, applying bright red evidence tape to computers, and loudly reading Miranda rights to the catering managers who had helped launder the cash.
Victoria broke free from a confused officer and ran frantically after my stretcher, her expensive heels clicking aggressively on the marble.
"You planned this!" Victoria screamed, her perfectly coiffed hair finally coming undone, her face contorted in absolute, ugly rage. "You ruined my daughter's wedding on purpose!"
I lifted my head slightly from the stretcher, looking down at the woman who had tormented me for years.
"I planned an audit, Victoria," I said, my voice carrying clearly over the shocked whispers of the guests. "You planned to illegally imprison a woman in active labor to save face. Enjoy the consequences."
As they wheeled me toward the waiting ambulance, Evan broke through the crowd, his face completely devoid of color, looking like a terrified little boy. He tried desperately to climb into the back of the ambulance beside me.
"Claire, baby, listen to me," Evan begged, grabbing the metal rail of the stretcher. "I panicked. I didn't know what they were doing. I love you."
Mara stepped forward, physically blocking his path with a heavy, unyielding arm.
"You can explain the forged offshore transfers to the federal prosecutor downtown," Mara said coldly, pushing him back.
Evan’s face completely collapsed. He looked at me, realizing the depth of his monumental error. "You knew?"
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"I gave you nine long months to simply tell me the truth, Evan," I said, staring at him with complete, absolute detachment. "You used every single one of those days to lie to me and steal my money."
The ambulance doors slammed shut, cutting off the sight of his ruined face, and the siren wailed as we sped toward the hospital.
