Chapter 7 - Caught on CameraCrack!
The heavy sound of the crowbar splintering the wooden doorframe of the manager's office echoed through the empty kitchen corridor. Celeste let out a triumphant grunt as she kicked the door open, rushing inside toward the server rack in the corner.
She began violently pulling at the blue ethernet cables, her manicured hands tearing at the wires as she tried to rip the physical hard drives from the metal shelves.
"Looking for these, Celeste?"
The overhead lights in the office suddenly flickered on, casting a bright, unforgiving light over the room. Celeste spun around, her face pale with terror, to find me standing in the doorway, flanked by Marcus and three federal law enforcement officers.
"No... no, this is a setup!" Celeste shrieked, dropping the crowbar onto the floor with a loud metallic clang.
"You're right, Celeste," I said, walking into the room. "It is a setup. But you’re the one who walked into it. The servers you’re trying to destroy are actually dummy units connected to a live video recording system. Every move you’ve made tonight has been broadcast directly to the local police station."
The lead officer stepped forward, pulling a pair of handcuffs from his utility belt. "Celeste Miller, you are under arrest for commercial burglary, destruction of evidence, and felony trespass."
"No! You can't arrest me!" Celeste screamed, struggling as the officer grabbed her wrists, clicking the cuffs into place. "Uncle Adrian will destroy you all! He loves me!"
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"Uncle Adrian is the one who authorized the arrest, Celeste," Adrian’s voice spoke from behind me. He walked into the office, his face set in a cold, disgusted line. "You are no longer my goddaughter, Celeste. You are a thief, an abuser, and a traitor to this family. You will face the full extent of the law."
As the officers led the screaming, hysterical social elite down the kitchen stairs, I looked at my father and offered a soft, quiet smile. The nightmare of my past was finally ending, and the future was ours to write.
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