Victoria: "Detective Miller, you can come in now."
The heavy double doors of the ballroom opened once again. Two dressed-down police detectives in suits walked into the hall, followed by two uniformed officers. The sight of law enforcement in the middle of a high-society gala sent shocks through the crowd.
Detective Miller: "Eleanor Vance?"
Eleanor: "This is ridiculous! Do you know who I am? I am the chairperson of the Vance Foundation!"
Detective Miller: "Not anymore, ma'am. We have a warrant for your arrest on charges of corporate fraud, embezzlement, and tax evasion."
Eleanor: "Victoria, stop this right now! We are family!"
Victoria: "Family? You locked me out of my father's house while he was dying. You stole his money and treated everyone around you like garbage."
Chloe: "Victoria, please! I didn't know! Mom never told me about the offshore accounts!"
Chloe scrambled up from the floor, taking a step toward Victoria, her eyes filling with tears of desperation. Her high-and-mighty attitude was completely gone, replaced by pure panic.
Chloe: "I'm your sister! You can't let them take my home!"
Victoria: "It was never your home, Chloe. It was my father's. And you just assaulted the legal owner in front of fifty witnesses."
Chloe: "I... I was emotional! I'm sorry!"
Victoria: "Apologies don't fix scratched faces, and they certainly don't pay back stolen millions."
Detective Miller stepped up behind Eleanor, pulling her arms behind her back and placing heavy steel handcuffs around her wrists. The metallic click echoed clearly through the silent room. Eleanor gasped, trying to pull away, but the officer held her firm.
Eleanor: "You won't get away with this! I have the best defense attorneys in the state!"
Victoria: "You had them, Eleanor. But since your bank accounts were frozen an hour ago by federal agents, you can't afford their retainer fee anymore."
Eleanor: "You monster!"
Detective Miller: "Let's go, ma'am. Keep moving."
The officers led a sobbing Eleanor out of the ballroom. Chloe stood frozen in the middle of the floor, looking around at the crowd of former friends and wealthy socialites who were now staring at her with disgust and pity. Nobody stepped forward to help her.
Chloe: "What am I supposed to do now?"
Victoria: "You can pack your personal clothes and leave the property by midnight. Tomorrow morning, the locks are being changed."
Chloe burst into tears, covering her ruined face with her hands as she ran out the back exit, her loud sobs fading down the long hallway.