Chapter 5 - The Absolute Ruin
Tessa tried to step back, but the two federal marshals immediately moved behind her, cutting off her exit.
"This is absurd!" Tessa’s father, a powerful state senator, stood up from his table. "Rowan, have you lost your mind? You're embarrassing my daughter in front of—"
"Your daughter is a felon, Senator," I interrupted, pulling a digital drive from my pocket and plugging it into the ballroom’s AV system.
The massive projection screens behind the stage flashed with bank routing numbers, signed statements from the private investigator, and the audio recording of the corrupt doctor admitting to falsifying Chloe's death certificate under Tessa’s direct payroll.
The guests gasped, several of them standing up in horror as the sheer scale of the cruelty was laid bare.
Tessa looked at the screens, her polished facade completely disintegrating. Her face twisted into a mask of pure, ugly malice as she glared at Maren. "You pathetic little rat! You were supposed to stay in the dirt where you belong!"
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"The only one going to the dirt is you, Tessa," I said, stepping between her and my family. "You are charged with conspiracy, grand larceny, kidnapping, and child endangerment. Your family's assets have already been flagged for investigation."
The marshals stepped forward, grabbing Tessa’s arms and pulling them behind her back. The sharp, metallic click of the handcuffs echoed through the silent room. She screamed and struggled as she was dragged past the pristine white flower arrangements, her white dress dragging through the spilled champagne on the floor.
