Chapter 7 - The Arrest
“This is a deep fake!” Eleanor screamed, jumping out of her chair, her PR team already slowly backing away from her. “Julian made this to ruin me! He’s trying to cover up his affair with the help!”
Julian didn't even flinch. He gestured to the side of the room, where two uniformed police officers had quietly entered.
“Eleanor Sterling,” an officer stepped forward, handcuffs in hand. “You are under arrest for three counts of child endangerment, false imprisonment, and filing a false police report regarding stolen property.”
Cameras rolled as Eleanor, kicking and screaming obscenities, was marched out of the ballroom in handcuffs. The glamorous facade was utterly destroyed, replaced by the desperate reality of a con artist caught in a trap of her own making.
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Julian leaned into the microphone one last time. “Clara Hayes is a woman of impeccable character, profound kindness, and unmatched loyalty. She is the only mother my children have ever known. And I owe her a debt I can never repay.”
Watching the broadcast on the television back at the estate, Clara felt a tear slip down her cheek. Not of sadness, but of an overwhelming, unfamiliar sense of safety. Julian had fought for her. He had cleared her name in front of the entire world.
