Chapter 8 - The Fall of the House of Hart
Realizing her life was ending right before her eyes, Vanessa lost all semblance of sanity. She snatched a heavy crystal wine bottle from a nearby table, smashed it against the wooden edge, and lunged wildly toward Maria!
“You ruined everything, you filthy servant!” she shrieked like a lunatic.
Before she could reach Maria, Daniel jumped from the stage, intercepting Vanessa in mid-air. He grabbed her wrists, twisting her arm until the broken bottle clattered uselessly against the marble floor. He forced her down onto her knees.
Vanessa thrashed violently, screaming curses as Detective Carter slammed her face down onto the carpet and clicked the metal handcuffs around her wrists.
“Get off me! Do you know who I am?” Richard Hart bellowed as three federal agents pinned him against the bar counter, ratcheting his arms behind his back. “My lawyers will destroy every single one of you!”
“Save it for the grand jury, Hart,” Detective Carter snapped, dragging Richard toward the doors.
The media cameras flashed frantically as Vanessa and her father were hauled out of the grand estate in chains, their designer clothes torn, their reputations permanently demolished before the world’s press.
Daniel stood in the center of the ballroom, breathing heavily. He walked over to Vanessa’s abandoned purse on the front table, reached inside, and pulled out the massive five-carat diamond engagement ring he had given her. Without a second thought, he dropped it into an ash bucket near the entrance.
He turned around to face his brother.
Andrew walked up the steps, and the two brothers embraced once more—this time under the bright lights of the ballroom, with no more secrets, no more hiding, and no more fear.
The crowd of guests broke into spontaneous, roaring applause.
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Maria rushed forward, wiping tears of relief from her face as she wrapped her arms around Noah. Andrew knelt beside them, pulling his wife and son into a long, tight embrace.
The nightmare was finally over.
