Chapter 9 - Cold Steel
The metallic clinking of the police handcuffs sounded louder than thunder across the silent, wind-swept rooftop penthouse.
Victoria spun around violently, attempting to dash toward the glass emergency staircase that led to the lower levels.
Her black stiletto heel caught on the slick, alcohol-drenched tiles, sending her sprawling heavily onto her bruised knees.
The lead officer closed the distance in two broad strides, pinning her right arm behind her back with practiced efficiency.
"Don't you touch me! Do you know who my lawyers are?!" Victoria shrieked, writhing like a serpent beneath the officer's grip.
"You have the right to remain silent," the officer stated with complete indifference to her wealth and family lineage.
With a sharp, merciless click, the cold steel cuff snapped securely around Victoria’s right wrist.
The metal bit into her pale skin, an inescapable reminder that her life of unchecked privilege had reached a dead end.
"Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law," the officer continued, wrenching her left wrist behind her back.
The second cuff snapped shut with a definitive, chilling finality that echoed off the stone tiles.
Victoria let out an animalistic wail of pure humiliation, pressing her forehead down against the wet floor as she was subdued.
From the lounge chair, Elena watched the arrest through tear-filled eyes, her hands still resting protectively over her belly.
Maya stood beside the chair, placing a reassuring, steady hand on Elena’s trembling shoulder.
"It’s over, Elena. She can never touch you or your baby ever again," Maya whispered gently, offering a faint, compassionate smile.
Julian walked back over to his wife, dropping onto his knees once more and burying his face into Elena’s lap.
He was weeping openly now, the terrifying adrenaline finally giving way to the gut-wrenching reality of how close he had come to losing them.
"I’m so sorry... I should have been out here with you... I should have known what she was capable of," Julian choked out between sobs.
Elena reached down with a trembling hand, running her pale fingers through Julian’s wet hair.
"You came for me, Julian. You both came for me," Elena whispered softly, her gaze shifting gratefully to Maya.
The lead officer hoisted the handcuffed Victoria to her feet, holding her firmly by the crook of her crimson-clad elbow.
Victoria’s dress was stained with dirt, blood, and champagne, her blonde hair hanging in tangled knots across her face.
As the officer began escorting her toward the glass penthouse doors, she suddenly dug her heels in and twisted her neck back.
Her bloodshot eyes locked onto Elena’s swollen stomach with an expression of pure, unadulterated hatred that sent shivers through the air.
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"You think you won, Elena?!" Victoria spat, her voice a jagged whisper that carried chillingly over the rooftop breeze.
"This isn't over! You will never raise that child in peace as long as I draw breath!" she snarled with terrifying conviction.
