Chapter 6 - FROM BILLIONAIRE TO PRISON CELL: THE 24-HOUR DOWNFALL OF THE STERLING FAMILY!
Within two hours, the news had completely blown up across every major news network and social media platform worldwide. The headlines dominated every screen:
“STERLING FAMILY FRAUD EXPOSED: BRIDE AND MOTHER ARRESTED AT WEALTHIEST WEDDING OF THE DECADE!”
Outside the luxury hotel, hundreds of flashing red and blue police lights illuminated the night sky. News camera crews pushed against police barricades, their flashes illuminating the humiliated faces of Victoria and Chloe Sterling as they were led out in handcuffs, still wearing their ruined high-fashion dresses.
"Get those cameras out of my face!" Victoria screamed, trying to block her face with her cuffed hands. "Do you know who I am?! I am Victoria Sterling!"
"Not anymore," a female police officer said dryly, shoving Victoria into the back of a police cruiser. "Your mansion was seized by federal marshals twenty minutes ago. Every vehicle, bank account, and luxury asset under the Sterling name is officially state property."
Inside the hotel's private VIP executive lounge, Maya sat wrapped in a warm cashmere blanket, sipping tea. Eleanor sat right beside her, holding her hand tightly, refusing to let go for even a single second.
"I remember... bits and pieces," Maya said softly, looking at the silver locket. "I remember a garden with white roses. I remember a lullaby you used to sing..."
"You were four years old when you were taken from our summer estate," Eleanor said softly, tears glistening in her eyes. "I spent over twenty years hunting down the syndicate that took you. I thought I lost you forever... until I saw your name on the internal promotion roster six months ago. But before I could reach out, Julian orchestrated that horrible accident to keep you from discovering his embezzlement."
"Why did you dress as a cleaning woman today?" Maya asked, looking at her mother with deep curiosity.
Eleanor smiled softly, a dangerous, clever spark glinting in her eyes. "Because I wanted to see who Julian and his new family truly were when they thought no one important was watching. Power reveals a person’s true character, Maya. And today... they revealed everything."
Suddenly, the door opened. Eleanor’s chief assistant walked in, holding a tablet.
"Madam Chairwoman," the assistant said solemnly. "We have finished decoding Julian Mercer’s encrypted private server. But... you need to see this. There is something else. Something about Maya's original abduction twenty years ago."
May you like
Eleanor’s smile vanished instantly. "What is it?"
The assistant swallowed hard. "The person who financed the abduction twenty years ago... wasn't a corporate rival. The money came from inside the Vance family."
