Chapter 6 - The Unraveling of the HeiressesBy dawn, the storm had cleared, leaving behind a crisp, gold-tinted sky over the Harrington Estate. News vans lined the long driveway leading up to the gates. The story of the century had broke: “The Cleaning Lady Who Was an Empire’s Lost Queen.”
In the grand living room, Arthur Montgomery and Vanessa were sitting in handcuffs on the high-end leather sofas, surrounded by federal agents. The four other wealthy women who had arrived the previous morning—Olivia Prescott and the others—had been brought back by federal marshals for questioning regarding their families’ involvement in the illegal acquisition of Vance assets.
Olivia was trembling, her pristine composure completely shattered. “We didn't know! We were just invited by Arthur Montgomery to bid for a match with Michael! We didn't know he staged a murder!”
“You knew enough to profit from it,” Prosecutor Vance snapped coldly. “Your family’s firm acquired three Vance subsidiaries for ten cents on the dollar after Victoria’s ‘death.’ That makes you co-conspirators to grand treason and fraud.”
Vanessa glared at Emily, her eyes filled with pure hatred. “You think you won, don't you? You spent three years washing my mud off these floors! You served me tea! You bowed to me!”
Emily walked slowly toward Vanessa. She was no longer wearing her faded housekeeper’s apron. She was wearing a simple, elegant dark velvet coat, her short hair brushed back, revealing the sharp, aristocratic jawline of the Vance family.
“I washed the floors of this home because I loved every inch of it,” Emily said calmly, her voice resonant with authority. “And while I was washing those floors, I saw how you treated people who had less than you. You judged my worth by the rags I wore. But my son judged my worth by my heart.”
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Noah walked up and took Emily’s hand, looking up at Vanessa with a proud smile. “My mom is ten times richer than you’ll ever be.”
Vanessa shrieked in rage as the federal marshals pulled her to her feet and marched her out of the mansion into a waiting police cruiser.
