Chapter 8
The accusation hung in the air, thick and suffocating. Ricardo slowly turned his head away from the two tactical officers, his gaze locking onto his wife with a look of horror so profound it drained all the color from his face.
“What did he just say?” Ricardo whispered, his voice barely audible over the hum of the air conditioning.
Elena’s cold composure finally cracked, a flash of genuine panic flickering across her eyes before she smoothed her features back into a mask of icy indifference.
“The boy is hallucinating, Ricardo,” she said, her voice sharp and defensive. “He has severe delusions brought on by abandonment anxiety. He believes his biological mother is still alive because he refuses to accept reality.”
“He didn’t mention his biological mother, Elena,” Ricardo said, stepping away from Leo and walking slowly toward her. His tall frame loomed over her, every muscle in his dark grey suit tense. “He said you made her disappear. Just like you're trying to make him disappear.”
The taller tactical officer stepped smoothly between them, his heavy boots planting firmly on the white carpet.
“Step back, Mr. Vance,” the officer warned, his tone flat and unyielding. “The protocol requires immediate relocation of the subject to a secondary stabilization unit. Your emotional interference is compromising the operational integrity of the household.”
“This is my home!” Ricardo roared, his restraint finally snapping as he lunged past the officer toward Elena.
Before Ricardo could reach her, the second officer moved with blinding speed, wrapping a heavy arm around Ricardo’s chest and driving him backward against the glass hallway wall. The impact knocked the wind from Ricardo’s lungs, but he thrashed violently, fighting against the restraint with every ounce of his strength.
“Let me go!” Ricardo shouted, his face flushing crimson as he strained against the officer's grip. “Elena! What have you done with her? Where is Sarah?”
Elena smoothed the fabric of her red sleeveless dress, her eyes cold as she looked down at her husband pinned against the glass.
“Sarah knew too much about the foundation's funding sources, Ricardo,” Elena said calmly, her voice devoid of any human warmth. “She tried to take Leo and run. She didn't make it past the county line. And if you don't calm down right now, neither will you.”
On the floor, Leo scrambled backward until he hit the baseboard, his small hands covering his ears as he squeezed his eyes shut.
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“Dad!” Leo screamed, his voice cracking with absolute terror. “Don't let them take us upstairs! That's where they keep the boxes!”
With a swift, practiced motion, the first officer pulled a pair of heavy zip-ties from his utility belt, stepping over the small wooden toy house on the carpet as he moved toward Ricardo.
