Chapter 16 - Cuffed in Paradise
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The silence in the grand ballroom was crushing, suffocating every person inside it.
The two hundred wealthy guests—Derek’s business partners, country club friends, and family relations—stood frozen, staring at him not with sympathy, but with complete and utter disgust.
One of the uniformed police officers stepped forward, pulling a pair of steel handcuffs from his belt.
“Mr. Hayes,” the officer said firmly, “we need you to come with us to the precinct regarding the fraudulent credit application and a formal complaint of domestic assault.”
Derek looked wildly around the room, searching the faces of his friends, his colleagues, his father—hoping someone would step in and save him.
Nobody moved. Even Richard Hayes took a slow step backward, turning his back on his son.
Then, Derek made his final, tragic mistake.
In a blind, unhinged rage, Derek lunged across the space between us and ripped the wireless microphone violently out of my hand.
“You ungrateful, crazy bitch!” he screamed into my face.
Before he could raise his arm again, the second police officer seized Derek’s wrist in an iron grip, twisting his arm behind his back.
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“Get off me!” Derek shrieked, struggling frantically against the officers.
In a matter of seconds, Derek was slammed face-down across the white-draped head table. Champagne glasses tipped over, shattering across the polished floorboards, spraying sparkling wine over his tuxedo as the metallic click of handcuffs echoed through the silent room.
