Chapter 7: The Interrogation in the Study
The morning sun cast harsh beams across the mahogany desk in the master study where Eleanor sat waiting. She had changed into a sharp charcoal pantsuit, her red hair once again immaculately styled in its signature tight bun. Her posture was rigid, her expression cold and guarded. Standing near the door were two uniformed police officers and a plainclothes detective named Marcus Vance—no relation to Julian, despite the shared surname.
Julian walked into the study, followed closely by Arthur Pendelton, who carried a thick leather briefcase. The atmosphere in the room plummeted several degrees as Julian closed the heavy oak door behind them.
"Eleanor," Detective Vance said, flashing a silver badge before slipping it back into his jacket pocket. "I’m Detective Vance. We received a formal report from your husband regarding an incident involving your infant son late last night."
Eleanor did not flinch. She turned her cold, calculating gaze from the detective to her husband. "My husband is prone to dramatic overreactions, Detective. Whatever he told you is a gross exaggeration of a routine domestic misunderstanding."
"Routine misunderstanding involving prescription-strength sedatives administered to a six-month-old infant?" Detective Vance raised an eyebrow, pulling a small notebook from his breast pocket. "Mr. Vance provided high-definition security footage from the upstairs landing showing you dispensing an unprescribed substance into the child's formula bottle. Furthermore, Dr. Vance has confirmed the substance was chloral hydrate—a potent sedative not approved for infants."
Eleanor’s jaw tightened, but she maintained her composure, her voice chillingly calm. "I demand to speak with my legal counsel before I answer any further questions. You have no statement from me."
"You have that right, Mrs. Vance," Arthur Pendelton interjected smoothly, stepping forward with a calm, authoritative demeanor. "However, you should also be aware that a family court judge has just signed an emergency order granting Mr. Vance temporary sole custody and issuing a mandatory restraining order requiring you to vacate the premises within the hour."
For the first time, Eleanor’s mask slipped. Her eyes widened in genuine horror as she looked at Arthur, then back to Julian. "You’re throwing me out of my own home? You’re cutting me off from my son?"
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"You brought this upon yourself, Eleanor," Julian said, his voice entirely devoid of warmth. "Your ambition, your greed, and your recklessness destroyed this family long before you decided to drug our child. The police are here to escort you to your temporary residence while the legal proceedings move forward."
Eleanor stood up slowly, her chair scraping loudly against the hardwood floor. She walked past Julian without looking at him, her heels clicking sharply against the floorboards as the police officers flanked her sides.
