Chapter 5: The Trap is Sprung
Chapter 5: The Trap is Sprung
The next morning, the high-society circles of the city were buzzing with rumors, but the Vance family kept completely silent. No press releases were made. Evelyn Thorne sat in her office, anxiously waiting for a call from Victor. Hours passed, and there was only radio silence.
"Dammit, Victor, pick up," she muttered, pacing her office.
Suddenly, her office door opened. It wasn't Victor. It was Richard Vance, looking immaculate in a charcoal grey suit, though his eyes were cold as ice. Behind him stood two federal prosecutors and a squad of police officers.
Evelyn forced a tight, glamorous smile. "Richard! What is the meaning of this? If this is about that absurd maid from the gala, I told you—"
"Victor confessed, Evelyn," Richard interrupted, his voice dropping like a guillotine.
Evelyn’s smile froze. "I... I don't know who you're talking about."
"Victor Vance—no relation, luckily," Richard said, stepping aside. Elena walked into the room, dressed no longer as a maid, but in a stunning, elegant cream-colored suit. She carried herself with the dignity of the true matriarch of the Vance family.
"You thought a cliff in Switzerland could erase me, Evelyn," Elena said, her voice echoing in the large office. "But love has a way of surviving. Victor traded his full confession for a plea deal to avoid the death penalty. The FBI has already seized your bank accounts showing the wire transfers to his offshore accounts four years ago, and the bonus payment you sent him last night."
Evelyn stumbled backward, bumping into her glass desk. "This is a setup! You’re framing me! Richard, you love me! We were going to build an empire together!"
"I never loved you, Evelyn. I tolerated you for business," Richard said with utter disgust. "And you stole four years of my wife's life. You made my son grow up without a mother. You are going to a place where no amount of Thorne family money can save you."
The police officers moved forward, pulling Evelyn’s arms behind her back. The silver handcuffs clicked into place, a stark contrast to the diamond bracelets she wore. As she was led out of the Thorne Tower in front of dozens of flashing cameras and whispering employees, her screams of rage echoed down the hallway.
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Elena watched her go, feeling a profound sense of weight lifting from her shoulders. The nightmare that had begun on a rainy mountain pass four years ago was finally over. She felt Richard’s arm wrap around her waist, pulling her close.
"Let's go home, Elena," he whispered. "Our real life starts today."
