Chapter 8
Detective Miller didn’t blink. He raised a hand to silence Eleanor’s frantic protests and signaled to his junior officers. Two patrolmen stepped forward, their movements efficient and professional, flanking Vance and his silent associate. Vance did not resist; he offered a cold, knowing smile, clearly confident that his legal team and financial connections would have him out of custody before sunrise. Yet, as the handcuffs clicked securely around his wrists, Vance locked eyes with Maya, a silent warning passing between them—this was merely the opening skirmish of a much larger war.
“Hold on a second, Detective,” Eleanor shrieked, her voice cracking as the reality of her impending arrest set in. She grabbed Detective Miller’s sleeve, her manicured fingers digging into the fabric of his windbreaker. “You can’t just arrest me! I am the managing director! I have immunity under the corporate charter!”
“Your corporate charter was revoked by the state banking commission forty-eight hours ago, Ms. Sterling,” Detective Miller replied flatly, gently removing her hand from his arm. He motioned to the remaining officers. “Please escort Ms. Sterling to the cruiser. We have a federal warrant waiting at the precinct regarding the missing asset funds from the Grand Azure holding accounts.”
Eleanor let out a sharp, choked sound of disbelief as the two officers took her arms. As they led her across the polished marble floor—the very floor where she had dragged Maya just minutes earlier—her red velvet gown trailed behind her like a shroud of defeat. She cast one final, venomous glare over her shoulder at Maya, her lips forming silent curses before the heavy glass doors slid shut, swallowing her away into the cool night air.
David let out a long, shuddering breath, his shoulders dropping several inches as the immediate danger subsided. He looked at Maya with newfound reverence, realizing that the quiet, bruised girl standing before him possessed a spine made of absolute steel.
“Are you alright, ma’am?” David asked softly, stepping closer. “Should I call the medical desk for a proper evaluation?”
“I’m fine, David,” Maya replied, though she winced slightly as she shifted her weight. She reached up to touch her split lip, her fingers coming away with a faint smudge of dried blood. “The real work starts now. The board members are scheduled to arrive for the emergency sunrise meeting in less than six hours. Every department head, every corrupt manager Eleanor installed over the last five years needs to be notified before they can purge the servers.”
David nodded briskly, his professional instincts fully reactivated. “I’ll secure the IT control room right now, Ms. Lin-Sterling. Nobody gets in or out without your direct authorization.”
May you like
Maya watched him walk away toward the elevators, then turned her gaze back down to the golden hotel logo crest embedded in the marble. The physical pain from the alleyway was beginning to set in, but her mind remained razor-sharp. She had reclaimed her house; now she had to clean it.
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