Julian: (Into phone, voice shaking with rage) Emergency services, connect me to the local police department immediately.
Dispatcher: 911, what is your exact emergency location?
Julian kept one arm firmly wrapped around Clara's waist while tapping the speaker button with his thumb on the screen. His gaze remained locked upward, burning a hole through the empty space toward the second-floor balcony where his sister stood.
Julian: Send the police and an ambulance to the Sterling Estate right now! My sister-in-law just tried to murder my pregnant wife!
Clara: (Crying out softly) My stomach hurts, Julian... please hurry them up.
Julian: (Softer, kissing her forehead) They are on their way, my love. Help is coming right now, I promise you.
He looked back up toward the balcony, watching as Elena slowly stepped back into the shadows of the hallway in a panic. She realized too late that her crime had been witnessed by the one person who would never let it go unpunished. The trust fund, the inheritance, and the family estate were no longer matters of mere corporate greed or legal dispute. This had crossed the permanent line into attempted murder, and no amount of family wealth could buy a way out of a prison cell. Sirens began to wail faintly in the distance, growing louder with every passing second as they cut through the afternoon traffic. Julian pulled Clara closer to his side, shielding her from the ghosts of a broken family that could never be repaired again. Will the police arrive before the culprit manages to slip out the back gates?