The heavy front doors of the estate burst open as three uniformed Dallas police officers rushed into the hallway, followed closely by two paramedics carrying medical emergency trauma kits.
Officer Vance: Dallas Police! Nobody move! Hands where we can see them!
Brandon: Officer Vance, over here! My wife, Victoria Sterling, is the suspect. The victim is on the floor and requires immediate medical attention for thermal burns!
Paramedic 1: Clear the way! Ma'am, stay still, we're going to apply cooling bandages to your face and neck right now!
The paramedics dropped to their knees beside Maya, gently dabbing her soup-covered skin with sterile saline solution and wrapping soft medical gauze around her neck and shoulders.
Maya: *Winced* Thank you... please, I need to find my baby girl at St. Vincent’s...
Paramedic 2: Easy, ma'am. Your heart rate is elevated, but we'll get you treated and transferred to the hospital right away.
Officer Vance stepped over to Victoria, who was sitting on the marble floor with her head in her hands, sobbing uncontrollably.
Officer Vance: Victoria Sterling, stand up and place your hands behind your back.
Victoria: This is a misunderstanding! I am the victim here! My husband assaulted me! Look at my face!
Brandon: Officer, I struck her once to prevent her from further assaulting Maya and to stop her from destroying evidence. The entire incident, including her confession to child abduction and forgery, is recorded on the cloud security feed.
Officer Vance: We have already secured a copy of the cloud stream through our digital forensics team, Mr. Sterling. Mrs. Sterling, stand up right now or we will cite you for resisting arrest.
Officer Vance pulled Victoria up from the floor, spinning her around and snapping cold steel handcuffs tightly around her wrists.
Victoria: AHH! You're hurting my wrists! I am a Sterling! You can't handcuff me in front of my staff!
Officer Vance: You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney.
Victoria: Brandon! Tell them to take these cuffs off me! Call my father right now!
Brandon: Your father can meet you at the Lew Sterrett Justice Center, Victoria. I am filing for an immediate emergency divorce and a full restraining order against you.
Victoria: You can't divorce me! The prenup agreement gives me fifty percent of all marital assets if you file!
Brandon: The prenup contains a felony criminality clause, Victoria. You don't get fifty percent of my assets. You get a forty-year prison sentence for human trafficking, unlawful restraint, forged adoption, and felony assault.
The police officers marched Victoria out through the grand foyer. As she was escorted down the front steps, local news vans that had been tracking the police radio frequencies pulled into the driveway, camera flashes instantly illuminating her stained white suit and handcuffed wrists.
Reporter 1: Mrs. Sterling! Is it true you held a maid captive in your Dallas estate?!
Reporter 2: Did you kidnap your husband's biological child to secure a fifty-million-dollar inheritance trust fund?!
Victoria: Turn those cameras off! Get out of my way! Security, clear these reporters!
The officers pushed Victoria into the back seat of the police cruiser, slamming the door shut as the flashing lights sped away toward downtown Dallas.