Back at the luxury ballroom, the music had stopped completely. Guests stood near the white marble pillars, watching in confusion as Vanessa paced back and forth near the head table, furiously typing on her cellphone.
Vanessa: Transfer the remaining funds to the Swiss account immediately! I don't care if it requires two-factor authorization, override it!
Lawyer: Mrs. Sterling, the bank is refusing the transfer! They said Marcus Sterling placed a freeze on all family accounts ten minutes ago!
Vanessa: What?! He can't do that without my authorization!
Lawyer: He can if he filed an emergency fraud affidavit with the police department!
Vanessa: Damn him! Pack the documents from the briefcase! We are leaving for the airport right now!
Before she could take three steps toward the exit, the heavy double doors of the ballroom slammed open with a loud bang.
The bright crystal chandeliers reflected off the polished floor as Marcus stepped into the room, holding Sarah's hand on his left and Toby's on his right. Four uniformed police officers walked in behind them, their hands resting on their holsters.
The entire crowd of wealthy guests gasped in unison. Dishes dropped, women screamed, and several board members backed away in sheer terror.
Guest 1: Is that... Sarah Sterling?!
Guest 2: She's alive?! But they had a funeral for her three months ago!
Guest 3: Look at Vanessa's face! She looks like she's seen a ghost!
Vanessa dropped her leather briefcase, her mouth hanging open as her face turned paper white. She stumbled backward against the dining table, knocking over a crystal champagne glass that shattered on the marble floor.
Vanessa: You... you're dead! You were supposed to be dead!
Sarah: I'm very much alive, Vanessa. And your little game is officially over.
Marcus: You lied to my wife, you trapped her in a private facility, and you put two bags of concrete in a coffin to pretend she was dead while you robbed our trust fund!
Vanessa: Marcus, darling... listen to me! She's an impostor! She's a woman paid to look like Sarah to ruin me!
Officer Miller: Save it for the judge, Mrs. Sterling. We checked the dental records and verified her identity ten minutes ago.
Vanessa: Get your hands off me! I am the head of the Sterling Foundation!
Officer Miller stepped forward, grabbing Vanessa's wrists and snapping heavy steel handcuffs into place right beneath the framed American flag hanging on the wall.
Officer Miller: Vanessa Sterling, you are under arrest for attempted murder, kidnapping, fraud, and desecration of legal property.
Vanessa: Marcus! Tell them to stop! I did this for the family! I did this to save the company from your incompetence!
Marcus: You did it out of pure greed, Vanessa. You wanted thirty million dollars, but all you're getting is a life sentence in prison.
The news cameras that had been setting up outside the ballroom rushed through the doors, flashbulbs exploding like fireworks as Vanessa was marched out in handcuffs past the long dining tables.
Reporter: Mrs. Sterling! Did you really fake your daughter-in-law's death for money?!
Vanessa: Get those cameras out of my face! I have rights!
Officer Miller: Move along, ma'am. Your car is waiting outside.
The room burst into unanimous applause as the police dragged Vanessa out into the night. Friends and colleagues rushed up to Marcus and Sarah, wiping tears from their eyes as they offered their congratulations.