Chapter 11 - A Mother's Vow
|
Elena stood tall on the landing, ignoring the sharp ache in her shoulder, her face a mask of fierce, absolute authority.
"You listen to me, Vanessa," Elena said, her voice dropping into a low, terrifying register. "You can attack my reputation. You can try to steal my husband's legacy. But if you ever threaten my unborn children again, I will make sure you spend the rest of your natural life in a cage."
Vanessa sneered, dropping her sweet facade entirely. "You think you've won because you found a few spreadsheets? You're a nobody, Elena! A little middle-class girl playing house in a dynasty you don't understand! By tomorrow morning, fifty million dollars will be gone, and the paper trail will point directly to your personal bank account!"
"Is that so?" Elena asked, a cold, victorious smile slowly spreading across her lips.
Vanessa frowned, a seed of doubt suddenly taking root in her mind. "What did you do?"
Elena pulled her phone from her pocket, pressing the screen to illuminate a live audio stream that had been broadcasting directly to the federal task force stationed two miles away.
"Julian isn't at a business meeting, Vanessa," Elena revealed smoothly. "He’s at the Federal Building with the United States Attorney. And every word you just said on this landing was recorded in high definition on the estate’s newly installed security cameras."
Vanessa’s face turned gray as paper. "You... you trapped me."
"No," Elena replied coldly. "You trapped yourself the moment you mistook my silence for weakness."
May you like
Vanessa turned and sprinted down the hallway toward the rear exit, but Elena didn't pursue her. She simply placed a protective hand over her belly and pulled out her phone to call Julian.
"It’s done," Elena whispered into the line. "Trigger the warrant."
