Victoria: Julian, please! Think about our social reputation! Think about the Dallas country club gala[cite: 5]!
Julian: Our friends at the country club will be reading your federal mugshot on the front page tomorrow morning[cite: 5].
Victoria: I will sign a complete legal waiver! I'll surrender all claims to the shipping merger and leave tonight[cite: 5]!
Julian: You won't take a single step past those front gates, Victoria[cite: 5].
Victoria: My father's defense attorneys will have this warrant thrown out before dinner[cite: 5]!
Julian: Your father's attorneys were disqualified by the federal magistrate two hours ago, Victoria[cite: 5].
Victoria: Disqualified?! On what possible legal grounds[cite: 5]?!
Julian: On grounds of facilitating twelve million dollars in fraudulent offshore transfers through Panama[cite: 5].
Victoria backed away toward the grand staircase, her grey shirt rustling against the wainscoting[cite: 5].
Victoria: That twelve million dollars was an authorized bridge loan for our maritime fuel reserves[cite: 5]!
Julian: That money was transferred to an account in the Cayman Islands registered under your maiden name[cite: 5].
Victoria: My father told me to open that account! He said it was an emergency family trust fund[cite: 5]!
Julian: Your father gave federal prosecutors every single email between you two this morning[cite: 5].
Victoria gasped, her hands shaking so hard that she nearly fell down the top riser of the stairs[cite: 5].
Victoria: My father... gave them my personal emails[cite: 5]?!
Julian: He made a plea deal at ten o'clock this morning to save himself from life imprisonment[cite: 5].
Victoria: That selfish, disgusting old coward! He promised me he would protect me no matter what[cite: 5]!
Julian: There is no honor among thieves, Victoria. You should have learned that long ago[cite: 5].
The heavy iron gates at the end of the long driveway groaned as they swung open[cite: 5].
The high-pitched wail of police sirens began to echo up the tree-lined avenue, growing louder by the second[cite: 5].
Flashing red and blue emergency lights swept across the white columns of the mansion, painting the gallery walls in crimson strokes[cite: 5].
Victoria turned toward the balcony stairs in pure, naked terror, but heavy tactical boots were already pounding up the steps[cite: 5].
Four uniformed police officers and two armed federal marshals marched onto the second-floor gallery[cite: 5].
Leading the squad was Detective Marcus Miller from the Dallas Police Major Crimes Division, his gold shield gleaming[cite: 5].
Detective Miller: Julian Sterling? We received the emergency priority dispatch from corporate security[cite: 5].
Julian: Over here, Detective Miller. The suspect is standing right by the banister[cite: 5].
Victoria: Marcus Miller! Thank goodness it's you! Tell these patrolmen to stand down! This is a domestic dispute[cite: 5]!
Detective Miller stopped three feet from Victoria, looking down at her rumpled grey t-shirt with cold disgust[cite: 5].
Detective Miller: Keep your hands visible, Mrs. Vance. Do not attempt to move[cite: 5].
Victoria: Do not call me a suspect! Julian assaulted me! He threatened my life in front of his child[cite: 5]!
Detective Miller: Under Texas Penal Code Section 9.32, reasonable physical force is fully justified to defend a child from violent felony assault[cite: 5].
Victoria: Nobody was assaulted! The girl tripped over her own shoes on the terrace[cite: 5]!
Detective Miller: We have the 4K security footage from your ceiling dome, Victoria. We watched you drop that child[cite: 5].
Victoria's jaw fell slack, her eyes darting between the armed officers as terror locked her throat[cite: 5].
Victoria: You... You watched the video already[cite: 5]?!
Detective Miller: The live feed was routed directly to our dispatch center fifteen minutes ago, ma'am[cite: 5].
Detective Miller unclipped a pair of heavy steel handcuffs from his tactical belt, stepping forward with practiced authority[cite: 5].
Detective Miller: Victoria Vance, you are under arrest for attempted capital murder of a minor, aggravated child endangerment, and corporate wire fraud[cite: 5].
Victoria shrieked, stumbling backward toward the library doors as the officers moved in[cite: 5].
Her screams bounced off the high ceiling, but the cold click of steel ratchets drowned out every word she had left[cite: 5].
Victoria: You cannot do this to me! I am Victoria Vance[cite: 5]!
Detective Miller: You have the right to remain silent, Victoria. Anything you say can and will be used against you in court[cite: 5].
Julian pulled Emma close, turning her away from the pathetic sight of the fallen socialite[cite: 5].
Julian: It's over, Emma. She will never enter this house again[cite: 5].