Chapter 17 - The Matriarch's Downfall
"No pulse! He’s not breathing!" the lead paramedic yelled, immediately dropping to his knees beside Daniel and beginning aggressive chest compressions.
Valeria broke free from the medics holding her. She crawled across the wet tiles, throwing herself beside her husband's unmoving body. "Daniel, please! Please don't leave me!" she wailed, clutching his cold, wet hand. "Breathe! You promised me!"
Amidst the absolute chaos of the medical resuscitation, Teresa Valdés realized her grand, flawless execution had turned into a catastrophic public spectacle. The wailing of police sirens was now growing deafeningly loud as multiple squad cars breached the ruined front gates, joining the fire trucks.
Maintaining her chilling, aristocratic composure, Teresa quietly turned her back on the pool. She adjusted the strap of her designer handbag and began to walk briskly toward the side garden, intending to slip away through the private garage to her waiting luxury sedan.
"Stop right there!"
Teresa froze. She turned around slowly. Standing in the middle of the garden path, blocking her escape route, was Aunt Elena. The elderly woman was dripping wet, shivering in the breeze, but her eyes burned with an absolute, terrifying righteous fury.
"You aren't walking away from this, Teresa," Elena said, her voice shaking with rage.
"Get out of my way, you pathetic old spinster," Teresa sneered, stepping forward. "You are nothing in this family."
"I am the one who saw you," Elena replied fiercely. She raised her hand, pointing directly at Teresa as three armed police officers sprinted up the path. "Officers! That woman! She pushed my niece into the pool and locked her in! She tried to murder them!"
Teresa scoffed, crossing her arms indignantly as the police approached. "This is absurd. I am Teresa Valdés. This estate belongs to me. That hysterical old woman is lying."
"We have dozens of guests who saw you stand by the controls and refuse to stop the cover, ma'am," one of the officers said, unholstering his handcuffs. "Turn around and place your hands behind your back."
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"You cannot arrest me! Do you know who my lawyers are?!" Teresa shrieked, her immaculate facade finally shattering into ugly, panicked rage.
"I don't care if your lawyer is the President," the officer growled, snapping the cold steel cuffs securely around her wrists. "You're going to prison."
