Detective Vance: Officers, place Mrs. Sterling under arrest for first-degree murder, attempted murder of a minor, and felony child endangerment.
Victoria: Get your hands off me! Do you know who my family's corporate lawyers are?!
The two uniformed officers stepped forward, grabbing Victoria by her arms and pulling her up from the cold tile. The metallic click of steel handcuffs echoed sharply off the white walls as they pinned her wrists behind her beige gown.
Victoria: Richard! Tell them to stop! Call the board of directors! Tell them this will ruin our stock merger with Vance Logistics!
Richard: The merger with Vance Logistics was canceled ten minutes ago, Victoria. Your father was arrested at his office for corporate wire fraud.
Victoria: My father?! No! You ruined my whole family!
Richard: You ruined your own family the second you put three drops of poison into a baby's bottle.
Elena stepped forward, gently taking little Liam from Richard's arms so he could sign the official police authorization form on the detective's tablet.
Elena: Shh, little baby. The bad lady is going away forever now.
Liam: Elena... stay with me...
Elena: I am right here, my sweet boy. I'm never leaving your side.
The officers turned Victoria around, guiding her across the polished marble floor toward the grand double doors. High-society reporters, who had been waiting outside for the evening corporate gala, swarmed the driveway, camera flashes exploding continuously against the glass doors.
Reporter A: Mrs. Sterling! Is it true you poisoned Sarah Sterling for her fifty-million-dollar estate trust?
Reporter B: Did you attempt to sedate a two-year-old toddler inside the mansion?
Victoria: Get those cameras out of my face! Put them away!
Victoria pulled her handcuffed hands up, trying desperately to cover her face, but the photographers captured every second of her ruined makeup, rumpled beige gown, and red, swollen cheeks.
Officer Davis: Mind your head getting into the squad car, ma'am.
The heavy metal door slammed shut with a sharp, resounding thud, cutting off her shrill shouting once and for all.
Inside the grand hall, the silence returned, warm and peaceful under the bright chandelier lights. Richard turned to face Elena, his eyes filled with deep, overwhelming gratitude and respect.
Richard: Elena... I don't even know how to begin to thank you for what you did today.
Elena: You don't have to thank me, Mr. Sterling. I promised Mrs. Sarah on her deathbed that I would protect Liam with my life.
Richard: You saved his life today. You saved both of us.