Chapter 3
Backup arrived in the form of Officer Marcus Taylor, a veteran patrolman whose weathered face showed decades of dealing with human misery on these very highways. He stepped out of his cruiser, his hand resting on his holster as he took in the strange tableau: the glamorous couple by the SUV, the crying girl in the dirt, and Evelyn standing between them like a human barrier.
“What do we have, Ev?” Marcus asked, his deep voice carrying easily over the wind.
“Domestic abandonment involving a minor,” Evelyn replied without breaking eye contact with Richard. “Driver pulled over, forced a mother and infant out of the vehicle, and attempted to drive away. We need animal control for the SUV—wait, no, we need Child Protective Services and an ambulance to check on the baby just to be safe.”
Chloe burst into renewed tears upon hearing the word ambulance, rocking back and forth in the dirt. “No, no hospitals, please! We don’t have insurance, we don’t have money! He took my purse! He took my phone when he threw our bags out on the gravel!”
Elena gasped, her hands covering her mouth again. She turned to her husband, her voice laced with sudden betrayal. “You took her purse? Richard, you left her out here with nothing? No ID, no diapers, no phone?”
“Shut up, Elena!” Richard roared, finally dropping the polished corporate facade. His face flushed a dark, mottled red. “You think you’re so innocent? You knew about the apartment! You funded the hush money last month! We are all in this mess together, so stop acting like the grieving saint!”
Evelyn stepped directly into Richard’s personal space, forcing him to back up against the door of the black SUV. “Mr. Sterling—because I see the name on your registration now—lower your voice. You are currently talking yourself straight into a pair of steel bracelets. Officer Taylor, secure Mr. Sterling’s hands behind his back.”
Marcus moved with practiced efficiency. Before Richard could protest, the metallic click of handcuffs echoed across the highway. Richard’s expensive blue suit crinkled as he was pushed gently against the hood of his own vehicle. His gold watch clinked against the metal, a ridiculous accessory to an arrest.
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Elena stood frozen, watching her husband get detained. The emerald green dress seemed to weigh her down now, a symbol of wealth built on secrets and cruelty. She looked down at Chloe, who was staring up from the dirt with a mixture of fear and vindication.
Evelyn walked back over to Chloe, kneeling beside her once more. The baby stirred slightly, letting out a soft sigh, still wrapped safely in the pink blanket. “Chloe,” Evelyn said gently, touching the young woman’s trembling shoulder. “You’re safe now. We’re going to get you and your little girl off this highway. But I need you to tell me everything about how you ended up in the back of that man’s car.”
