Julianna: No... no! You can't let the police arrest me in this house!
Lucian: I'm not stopping them. You brought this on yourself the moment you put your heel on Clara's leg.
Julianna: Clara, please! Tell them it was an accident! Tell them we were just practicing a scene for a video!
Clara: Practicing a scene? You held me down on the floor and laughed while I cried for help, Julianna.
Julianna: I was stressed! I was worried about my mother's health! You know how hard things have been for us!
Clara: I spent six months living in a small studio apartment with barely enough money for groceries because your mother froze my bank accounts! You never cared about my health for a single day!
The heavy front doors of the estate swung open, and three uniformed police officers marched into the sunlit living room, led by Detective Marcus Reed.
Detective Reed: Mr. Sterling! We received the emergency dispatch from the DA's office regarding an ongoing physical assault at this address.
Lucian: Good morning, Detective. The victim is sitting on the sofa, and the suspect is standing right there in the wet dress.
Julianna: Detective, this man pushed me into the outdoor swimming pool! He assaulted me first!
Detective Reed: Miss Montgomery, we have already reviewed the high-definition ceiling camera footage. Mr. Sterling intervened to stop you from committing felony assault on Miss Clara Vance.
Julianna: It wasn't felony assault! It was a minor disagreement between sisters!
Detective Reed: Stomping on someone's leg with a high-heeled shoe while holding them down is classified as aggravated assault with a dangerous weapon, ma'am.
Detective Reed pulled a pair of steel handcuffs from his utility belt and stepped across the white marble floor toward Julianna.
Julianna: Don't you touch me! My family donates millions of dollars to the city police foundation!
Detective Reed: Turn around and place your hands behind your back, Miss Montgomery.
Julianna: Lucian! Tell him to stop! You can't let them take me to the station in handcuffs!
Lucian: I think the steel cuffs suit your outfit quite well, Julianna.
Officer Davis grabbed Julianna's wrists, clicking the metal cuffs firmly into place behind her back. Julianna let out a furious scream, her wet burgundy gown rustling as she tried to pull away.
Julianna: Get your hands off me, you brute! Do you know who my mother is?!
Detective Reed: We know exactly who your mother is, ma'am. State troopers arrested her at the private airport forty minutes ago for wire fraud, forgery, and conspiracy to commit murder.
Julianna: Conspiracy to... to murder?! That's insane! My mother didn't kill anyone!
Detective Reed: The medical examiner completed the toxicology report on Arthur Vance's remains yesterday morning, Miss Montgomery. The level of illegal sedatives in his system was three times the lethal limit.
Julianna's eyes opened wide in utter shock, her strength completely vanishing as her knees gave out beneath her. The two officers had to catch her by her arms to keep her from dropping onto the marble floor.
Julianna: Lethal... limit? My mother said... she said it was just to make him sleep...
Detective Reed: You will have plenty of time to discuss what your mother said with your defense attorney, ma'am. Walk her out to the cruiser, officers.
Julianna: Clara! Clara, help me! Please don't let them take me to jail!
Clara turned her head away, taking a deep breath as the officers escorted a sobbing, hysterical Julianna out through the glass doors toward the police cars parked in the sunlit driveway.
Detective Reed: Miss Vance, an ambulance is waiting outside if you need medical personnel to examine your leg.
Clara: Thank you, Detective, but I think it's just badly bruised. Lucian helped me right away.
Detective Reed: We will need both of you to come down to the station later this afternoon to sign your official witness statements.
Lucian: We will be there at two o'clock sharp, Detective. Thank you for your fast response today.