Chapter 4: The Sound of Justice
Beatrice saw Julian’s hesitation and realized the room was closing in on her. She turned and marched toward the bathroom suite, determined to force Elena to sign the papers and get this over with. She grabbed the key from her purse, her hands shaking.
"I’ll handle this, Julian!" she shouted back, not looking at him.
She unlocked the door and threw it open, ready to unleash her venom. "You pathetic, stubborn girl! Sign the papers, or so help me—"
She stopped. The bathroom was empty, save for Elena, who was standing up, leaning against the vanity, pale but composed. On the wall-mounted speakers of the bridal suite—a system Beatrice had installed to play classical music—Elena’s voice was playing, but it was Beatrice’s words that filled the room.
“You are common... sign, and I’ll ensure you have enough money to disappear. Refuse, and you’ll leave with nothing.”
Beatrice spun around. Julian was standing in the doorway, his face a mask of frozen rage. Behind him stood two federal agents.
"Mom?" Julian’s voice was barely a whisper. "Did you lock her in here? While she was in labor?"
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"It’s not what it looks like!" Beatrice screamed, her hands flying to her face. "She was trying to trap you! She was—"
"The recording captured more than just the confinement, Beatrice," one of the agents said, stepping forward. "It captured your conversation with the offshore accounts, the embezzlement of the Sterling Trust, and the solicitation of a hit-and-run against Elena’s father’s firm. You’re under arrest."
