CHAPTER 9: THE STANDOFF
The guard reached for Elena’s arm, but before his fingers could grip her jacket, the heavy oak doors of the drawing room slammed open.
“Touch her and I will personally see you charged with felony kidnapping!”
Richard stood in the threshold. Standing behind him were two uniformed state troopers with their hands resting firmly on their duty belts.
Victoria shot to her feet, knocking her teacup off the saucer. It shattered on the marble floor, dark tea spilling like blood. “Richard! Have you lost your mind? What have you done?”
“I’m ending this,” Richard said, walking into the room. He looked exhausted, but for the first time, his eyes were clear and determined. “I called the State Attorney General’s office an hour ago. I surrendered all the financial documents and the offshore account records.”
“You fool!” Victoria shrieked, her aristocratic composure completely evaporating. “You’ll ruin our name! You’ll lose the company, the estate, everything!”
“We already lost our souls the day we took that boy,” Richard shouted back.
The state troopers stepped between the private guards and Elena. The lead officer, Sergeant Ramirez, looked at the papers scattered across the coffee table.
“Mrs. Sterling, Mr. Sterling,” Ramirez announced, unholstering a pair of handcuffs. “You are both being detained pending an investigation into child abduction, conspiracy, and medical fraud.”
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Elena didn’t wait for them to finish. She bypassed the guards, rushed to the stroller, and scooped Leo into her arms. The baby stirred, opened his wide hazel eyes, and nestled against her neck.
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