Chapter 6 - The Ledger of Deceit
Special Agent David Vance stepped forward, unrolling a sealed federal indictment bearing the gold seal of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.
"Victoria Sterling," Agent Vance announced with booming authority. "You are under arrest pursuant to an eleven-count grand jury indictment charging you with international wire fraud, illegal trafficking of biological tissue, grand larceny, and attempted aggravated child abandonment."
"What?!" Victoria shrieked, backing away toward her bodyguards. "This is absurd! I am an executive! I have done nothing illegal!"
Marcus Reyes stepped forward, projecting digital surveillance captures and financial ledgers onto the large wall monitor in the foyer.
"At 8:45 AM yesterday, your vehicle was tracked via GPS and cellular ping to the south boundary drainage culvert of this estate," Agent Vance stated. "We recovered traffic camera footage showing you personally dropping the plastic container containing infant Leo into the brush before speeding away."
"That wasn't me!" Victoria screamed, sweating through her makeup.
"We also recovered the container, Victoria," Detective Morgan added, stepping forward with an evidence bag containing a black microfiber umbrella and leather gloves. "Your fingerprints and DNA were lifted from the plastic latch."
Victoria’s knees buckled. Her arrogance completely collapsed into hysterical panic. "No... no! You don't understand! The foreign clinics were demanding two million dollars! The surrogate threatened to go to the press! I was going to lose everything!"
"You threw a three-week-old infant into the rain to die because your extortion scheme failed," I said, looking down at her with pure, unadulterated disgust.
"Nathan, please!" Victoria wept, dropping to her knees on the marble floor as two federal agents pinned her arms behind her back. "Clara loved you! For Clara's sake, don't let them take me to prison!"
"Clara would have been disgusted by what you became," I replied softly.
May you like
Steel handcuffs clicked around Victoria’s wrists with brutal finality.
As the federal marshals dragged her out through the grand doors into the flashing red and blue lights, the house was restored to serene, absolute peace.
