Chapter 7 - The Final TrapWhile Adrian dismantled Vanessa’s corporate network upstairs, Clara sat in the high-security holding cells in the basement of the estate, sipping a cup of black coffee.
The heavy iron door swung open, and Vanessa was shoved inside by two guards. Vanessa’s hair was disheveled, her designer dress torn, and her face smeared with ruined makeup. She looked like a cornered animal.
"You!" Vanessa shrieked, lunging forward, but the heavy glass divider between the visitor’s booth stopped her cold. She slammed her fists against the reinforced glass. "You ruined everything! You arrogant, scheming bitch! You should have stayed at the bottom of that cliff!"
Clara calmly set her coffee cup down. She stood up, walking slowly toward the glass until her face was inches away from Vanessa’s distorted, screaming visage.
"I told you, Vanessa," Clara whispered, her voice amplified slightly by the intercom system. "You can't bury someone who has nothing left to lose."
"Adrian will never forgive you!" Vanessa laughed hysterically, tears streaming down her face. "He hates weakness! He hates secrets! Even if he knows I killed you, he’ll never truly trust you again! Your marriage is dead, Clara! Just like you were!"
Clara didn't blink. She smiled—a cold, terrifying smile that made Vanessa’s laughter die instantly in her throat.
"Who said anything about saving my marriage?" Clara tilted her head. "Adrian is a tool, Vanessa. A very powerful, very useful tool that I used to tear your entire world apart. But once a tool has served its purpose..."
Vanessa’s eyes widened in sudden, horrifying realization. The color drained completely from her face.
"What... what are you talking about?" Vanessa stammered, her voice dropping to a terrified whisper.
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At that exact moment, the heavy steel door behind Vanessa clicked open. A man in a crisp federal marshal uniform stepped in, holding a fresh set of federal indictments.
"Vanessa Sterling-Whitmore," the marshal announced coldly. "You are hereby placed under federal arrest for international money laundering, corporate espionage, and first-degree murder."
