Chapter 4 - The Reckoning
Daniel blinked, confused by the phrase for a fraction of a second. "What the hell are you talking about—"
The front door didn't just open; it exploded inward as Marcus kicked it off the latch.
Before Daniel could even turn his head, Marcus stormed into the dining room, grabbing Daniel by the collar of his expensive white shirt and hurling him away from me. Daniel crashed into the sideboard, sending the expensive wine bottle shattering to the floor in a spray of dark red glass and liquid.
"Get away from her!" Marcus roared, pinning Daniel to the floor, his forearm pressed heavily against Daniel’s throat.
Daniel thrashed, his face turning purple as he choked out, "Get off me! This is my house! I’ll have you arrested for assault!"
Priya Shah walked calmly into the dining room, holding her phone, which was actively recording the entire scene. Behind her, two uniformed police officers stepped through the shattered doorway, their tasers drawn and aimed directly at Daniel.
"Police! Don't move!" the lead officer shouted. "Hands behind your back, now!"
Marcus stepped away, raising his hands as the officers descended on Daniel, pulling his arms behind his back and clicking the steel handcuffs into place. Daniel was screaming, a high-pitched, desperate sound, his eyes darting frantically to his mother.
"Mom! Do something! Call the judge! Call Arthur!"
But Margaret was frozen. She sat in her chair, staring at Priya, who had placed her laptop on the corner of the table.
"Margaret Blackwood," Priya said, her voice dripping with professional disdain. "I am Mara’s legal counsel. The audio recorder inside that centerpiece has just captured you conspiring to commit extortion, grand larceny, and corporate fraud, alongside your son's explicit confession to domestic violence. Furthermore, the federal financial documentation Mara retrieved this morning has already been forwarded to the District Attorney’s office."
Margaret’s aristocratic composure shattered. She looked at me, her eyes wild with terror. "Mara... please. We can talk about this. The family name... the estate... it's all we have left."
"Your family name is a cover-up for a crime syndicate," I said, stepping out from behind the table, my voice echoing in the ruined room. "And your estate is nothing but a prison. You wanted me inside that house so badly, Margaret. Well, you're going to a different one now."
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The officers marched Daniel out the front door, his curses fading into the street. The second officer turned to Margaret. "Ma'am, you need to come with us as well for questioning regarding the corporate fraud allegations."
Margaret stood up slowly, her knees shaking, her regal bearing utterly gone as she was led out into the afternoon sun.
