Chapter 17 - THE BRIDE’S RECKONING
The Bride sat in a tiny, sterile room at the police station, her emerald gown now a tattered, ruined mess.
She was waiting for her lawyer, but the lawyer had already called to say he was dropping her case.
"I can't defend you," the lawyer had said, his voice flat and cold, the sound of a closing door.
She looked at her hands, the hands that had reached for power and had grasped nothing but air and lies.
She had wanted to be a Sterling, she had wanted the name, the money, and the prestige of the empire.
Now, she was just a woman under investigation for fraud, a woman whose name would be a laughingstock forever.
The door opened, and a detective walked in, carrying a folder, his expression grave and filled with absolute purpose.
"We have the evidence, ma'am. We're moving forward with the charges for embezzlement and grand theft," he said.
May you like
She stared at him, her eyes wide, her breath catching in her throat, the reality finally hitting her with force.
She had traded her freedom for a dream that had turned into a nightmare of her own making.
