Chapter 4 - The Fall of the House of Sterling
The entire ballroom erupted into chaos. Phones flashed as guests whipped out their devices, recording the pristine high-definition evidence playing on the giant screens. The sight of Eleanor ripping a pregnant woman's gown in cold blood was captured from four different camera angles.
"Amanda!" Chloe shrieked, turning on her cousin with wild eyes. "You snatched it?!"
"You told me you wanted an excuse to ruin her!" Amanda screamed back, breaking down under the glare of two hundred judging eyes. "You said if the ring went missing, you could blame the 'cheap trash' and make Dominic divorce her before the baby was born! You planned the whole thing, Chloe!"
"Shut up! Shut up!" Chloe threw her champagne glass at Amanda, the crystal shattering against the marble floor.
Dominic stood frozen, staring at the screen, then at his sister, then at his mother, and finally at me. The realization of what he had allowed—what he had enabled—seemed to hit him like a physical blow.
"Vivienne..." Dominic took a desperate step toward me, his hand reaching out. "Vivienne, please. I... I didn't know. I thought... my sister was just upset..."
"Don't touch her," Arthur snapped, stepping firmly between Dominic and me. "You stood there while your mother ripped my daughter's clothing. You watched two hundred people humiliate your pregnant wife, and you told her to 'just let them search her.' You are a coward, Mr. Sterling."
Mr. Harrison stepped forward, pulling a thick folder from his briefcase. "As of 9:15 PM tonight, Vance Global Holdings has officially terminated the commercial lease for Sterling Enterprises' headquarters. Furthermore, the ten-million-dollar credit line extended to your father's firm by Vance Capital has been revoked due to material breach of contract."
Eleanor let out a blood-curdling gasp, clutching her chest. "What?! You can't do that! Our family business will go bankrupt by Monday!"
"Then I suggest you start liquidating your assets tonight, Mrs. Sterling," Mr. Harrison replied flatly. "Because Mr. Vance is also filing personal civil suits for assault, defamation, and intentional infliction of emotional distress against you and your daughter."
Four uniformed police officers pushed through the ballroom doors, led by the precinct captain.
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"Chloe Sterling and Eleanor Sterling?" the captain asked, reading from a tablet. "You are under arrest for filing a false police report, grand larceny conspiracy, and felony assault."
Handcuffs clicked loudly around Chloe’s wrists, pinning her jeweled bridal sleeves together as she wept hysterically, dragged past her horrified wedding guests.
