Chapter 6 - The Bombshell DNA ReportAdrian looked like a man standing on the edge of a collapsing cliff. He tried to grab Arthur’s arm, but the old man recoiled as if burned.
“Arthur, please, let me explain in private—we can fix this—!” Adrian pleaded, his voice cracking with panic.
“There is nothing to fix, Mr. Vance,” a deep, authoritative voice echoed from the entrance of the ballroom.
Two uniformed Chicago police officers walked briskly through the parting crowd, flanked by a tall man in a sharp charcoal suit holding a heavy federal warrant.
“Adrian Vance and Celeste Moreau,” the lead federal agent announced, flashing a silver badge. “You are under arrest for grand larceny, wire fraud, and international money laundering.”
The room erupted into absolute chaos. Cameras flashed blindingly from the press corps that Marcus had discreetly tipped off. Celeste screamed, bursting into hysterics as she clutched her wedding gown, realizing her Cinderella story had transformed into a nightmare.
Adrian backed away, holding his hands up defensively. “No! This is insane! You can’t arrest me, I’m an executive—!”
“You’re an inmate,” I corrected him coldly, stepping right up to his face.
Adrian glared at me with pure, unadulterated hatred, his voice venomous. “You ruined everything! You vindictive, barren bitch! You couldn’t give me a child, so you destroyed my life out of spite!”
I let out a low, silvery laugh that cut right through his frantic screams. I reached into my designer coat and pulled out a single, pristine, court-certified document, holding it up so the flashbulbs could catch every word.
“Barren?” I whispered, letting the word hang in the air like a blade. “Adrian, look at the date on this document.”
Adrian squinted at the paper, his eyes darting across the text. His breath hitched.
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It was a birth certificate.
Father: Adrian Vance. Mother: Mia Vance. Child: Lily Vance. Date of Birth: Eight days ago.
