Chapter 3
The wailing siren of the approaching ambulance cut through the damp evening air, echoing faintly against the towering glass skyscrapers of downtown Seattle. Inside the penthouse, Officer Miller stood up, adjusting his utility belt while keeping a wary eye on Elena, who was now shivering against the cold hardwood.
"Paramedics are downstairs in the lobby," Officer Miller said into his radio, his breath pluming slightly in the air-conditioned room. "I need a stretcher up to the thirty-second floor. We have an injured female intruder who resisted detention."
"Intruder? You can't be serious!" Elena protested, her voice laced with rising panic. She tried to push herself up, but her ribs protested violently. "Look at my bag by the couch! My ID is in there. I live here! This is my apartment, not hers!"
Victoria stepped gracefully toward the designer handbag resting on the sectional sofa, her movements completely fluid and unhurried. She reached down, unzipped the leather pouch with practiced ease, and extracted a sleek silver smartphone and a leather cardholder.
"Officer, look out," Victoria warned smoothly, stepping back and holding up the items as if presenting dangerous contraband. "She might have hidden a weapon in here. And look—she even brought a blank flash drive. This was clearly a premeditated corporate espionage attempt."
Officer Miller took the phone and the cardholder from Victoria’s gloved hand, examining the driver's license inside the leather wallet. He frowned, reading the name on the card aloud. "Elena Vance. Address matches this penthouse."
Victoria didn't miss a beat. She offered a sad, knowing smile, feigning deep familial sorrow. "Yes, officer. That was her late father's apartment. When he passed away six months ago, the board allowed her to stay here temporarily as an act of charity, despite her erratic behavior. But legally, the corporate entity owns this residence now. She was given an official eviction notice this morning. That's why she flew into this violent rage."
"That is a complete fabrication!" Elena shouted, her heart hammering against her ribs like a trapped bird. "The probate court hasn't even finalized the estate review! She forged the eviction papers!"
Officer Miller looked conflicted, glancing from Victoria’s pristine business suit to Elena’s distressed state on the floor. The legal complexities of corporate estate disputes were far above the paygrade of a standard patrol officer. He slipped Elena's phone into his tactical pocket and secured her wallet.
"Look, Miss Vance, if that's your legal name, you can explain all of this to the desk sergeant down at the precinct," Officer Miller said neutrally, lacking any warmth. "Right now, you're being detained under suspicion of trespassing, property destruction, and assaulting a resident."
The elevator dinged softly down the hall, and the heavy metallic doors slid open, revealing two emergency medical technicians pushing a folding stretcher into the apartment.
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Victoria stepped aside, her eyes locked onto Elena with a predatory triumph. "Take good care of her, boys. She has a very fragile mind."
As the paramedics lifted Elena onto the firm canvas of the stretcher, she caught a terrifying glimpse of Victoria walking calmly toward the mahogany desk, pulling a small USB drive from her pocket and inserting it directly into the main terminal.
