Chapter 10: The Catch**
Time seemed to slow to an agonizing crawl.
As Vanessa fell backward against the railing, Leo slipped from the blanket, tumbling toward the hard stone floor.
David lunged forward, but the distance was too great. It was Clara—small, quick, and driven by pure instinct—who threw herself across the wet tiles. Sliding on her knees across the slick stone, she stretched out her arms and caught Leo just inches above the floor, pulling him tightly against her chest as her shoulder slammed hard into the base of the iron railing.
David tackled Vanessa away from the edge, pinning her wrists to the stone as she screamed in fury and terror.
"I’ve got him! Daddy, I’ve got him!" Clara sobbed, curling her body entirely around the infant to shield him from the pouring rain and wind.
Leo was wailing loudly, his small lungs filling with air, unharmed and safe inside Clara’s fierce embrace.
Headlights suddenly swept across the estate courtyard below. Two black-and-white police cruisers, called by Mrs. Gable minutes earlier, screeched to a halt at the front gates, their red and blue lights painting the rain-drenched mansion walls in vivid flashes.
David held Vanessa down until the heavy boots of police officers echoed up the stone stairs. Within moments, two officers handcuffed Vanessa, pulling her to her feet. Her designer dress was ruined, soaked in rainwater and dirt, her hair plastered to her face. She glared at Clara with silent, venomous rage as the officers escorted her down the stairs.
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David collapsed onto the wet ground next to Clara, wrapping both of his children in his arms. He wept openly, kissing Clara’s soaked hair and Leo’s soft forehead. "I'm so sorry, Clara... I'm so sorry I didn't see it sooner."
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