Elena: What are you talking about? What future?
Mark: I called the Dallas Police Department five minutes ago, Elena. And I sent a copy of Arthur's hidden camera footage to the District Attorney's office.
Elena’s face went completely blank. The wine glass slipped from her fingers, shattering against the wooden floorboards in a splash of red liquid.
Elena: What... what hidden camera footage?!
Mark: The 4K camera inside the smoke detector in the kitchen. The one that recorded you pinching my son's arms until he bruised, and then admitting that you were going to use your nightclub black eyes to frame me for domestic abuse.
Elena: You're lying! Arthur disconnected those cameras before he died!
Mark: Arthur didn't trust you, Elena. He knew you were trying to steal his estate, so he kept the hidden cloud system active. He left the password for Clara in her mother's Bible.
Elena: No... no! That's impossible! You can't use that video! It's an invasion of privacy!
Mark: Texas is a one-party consent state for security cameras inside a private residence, Elena. And since Clara owns fifty percent of this house, the footage is 100% legally admissible in court.
Down the long gated driveway, the wailing sound of police sirens began to echo through the trees. Red and blue lights flashed brightly through the tall glass windows of the grand foyer.
Elena: Mark! Please! Delete the video! I'll sign over my entire share of the estate to Clara! I'll sign the divorce waiver today!
Mark: You had your chance to walk away in peace, Elena. But you put your hands on my innocent baby boy.
Clara walked down the grand marble staircase, carrying Toby safely in her arms, with Martha walking right beside her.
Clara: You're never going to threaten this family again, Elena.
The heavy front double doors opened, and two armed Dallas police officers stepped into the foyer, led by Detective Vance.
Detective Vance: Mark Sterling? We received the emergency video transmission from your attorney.
Mark: Thank you for coming so fast, Detective. The suspect is standing right there.
Elena: Detective, listen to me! It was a misunderstanding! I was trying to discipline the child!
Detective Vance: Ma'am, I watched the footage on my way here. You deliberately inflicted physical injury on a six-month-old infant and attempted to fabricate a false police report against Mr. Sterling.
Officer Miller: Turn around and place your hands behind your back, ma'am.
Elena: Get your hands off me! Do you know who I am?! My late husband was Arthur Sterling!
Officer Miller pulled Elena's wrists behind her back, snapping the cold steel handcuffs firmly around her wrists. Elena shrieked in absolute rage, struggling against the officer's grip as her designer dress bunched up around her waist.
Elena: Clara! Tell them to stop! I'm your stepmother!
Clara: You are nothing to me, Elena. Take her away, Officers.
The police led the screaming, sobbing woman out through the double doors. Her high heels scraped uselessly against the marble steps as she was forced into the back of the marked police cruiser.