CHAPTER 4
The arrival of the NYPD was swift and uncompromising, their sirens cutting through the night air like a jagged blade through silk. Gabriel stood by the front gates, Lily held firmly on his hip, watching as the officers approached the weeping bride.
“Is there a problem here, Mr. Sterling?” the lead detective asked, eyeing the distraught wedding guests who were fleeing to their waiting town cars. Gabriel didn't mince words; he handed over the digital key card that controlled the locking mechanism of the storage room.
“My fiancée, Serena, willfully imprisoned a minor against her will for the duration of two hours,” Gabriel stated, his voice devoid of all emotion. “I want to press every charge available, including child endangerment, kidnapping, and psychological abuse.”
Serena’s screams began to climb in pitch as the officers clamped steel handcuffs around her wrists, pulling her away from the velvet upholstery of the mansion. She thrashed against them, her designer heels snapping as she tried to dig her toes into the gravel of the driveway.
May you like
“You can’t do this to me, Gabriel! You’ll regret this!” she shrieked, her makeup running down her face in dark, ugly streaks. Gabriel didn't even turn his head to look at her; he simply watched as the police cruiser took her away into the cold Manhattan night.
He turned his focus entirely back to Lily, whose head was buried deep into his shoulder, her breathing finally beginning to steady. The wedding was gone, the party was destroyed, but for the first time in months, Gabriel felt like he could finally breathe.
