Chapter 6 - The Trap is Set
Forty-eight hours later, Victoria Lane sat in the penthouse lounge of the Ritz-Carlton, sipping a mimosa and looking out over the city skyline.
Beside her, her father, Charles Lane, was frantically pacing the floor, two phones pressed to his ears.
“He’s not answering, Victoria!” Charles shouted, slamming one phone down onto the glass table. “Richard’s legal team has completely blocked our calls! The board meeting is scheduled for two PM today, and rumors are circulating that Hawthorne Tech is pulling out of the merger!”
Victoria adjusted her diamond bracelet, totally unfazed. “Calm down, Father. Richard is emotional right now because of those bratty kids. He’ll come around. He needs our capital line to finalize the European acquisition.”
“You don't understand!” Charles hissed, leaning over her chair. “The syndicate called me thirty minutes ago! They gave us until midnight to release twenty million dollars from the escrow account, or they will leak our financial records to the SEC!”
Before Victoria could answer, the doors to the private penthouse lounge swung open.
Richard Hawthorne walked in.
He was flanked by four dark-suited security officers and Arthur Vance. Richard wore an immaculate charcoal suit, his hair combed back, his posture commanding and cold.
Victoria’s face immediately lit up with a triumphant smile. She stood up, smoothing her designer silk dress.
“Richard, darling,” Victoria purred, stepping toward him with open arms. “I knew you’d come to your senses. I forgive you for your little outburst the other day. We can still fix this—”
Richard didn't stop walking until he was three feet away from her. He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a manila envelope, tossing it casually onto the marble coffee table beside her drink.
Victoria frowned. “What is this?”
“That’s your future, Victoria,” Richard said flatly.
Charles Lane rushed over, grabbing the envelope and pulling out its contents. As his eyes scanned the top page, his face drained of every drop of color.
Inside were color printouts of the 4K security footage showing Victoria planting the watch, dragging Noah, and locking the boys in the hallway—along with the forensic audit of Lane Capital’s offshore debt accounts.
“Where... where did you get this?” Charles stammered, his hands shaking so violently the paper rattled.
Victoria snatched a page from her father’s hand. Her eyes widened in sheer horror as she saw her own face printed in crystal-clear quality on the page.
“This... this is fake!” Victoria shrieked, backing away. “Richard, she made this! That maid made this to turn you against me! She’s trying to steal my place!”
“Emily didn't make anything,” Richard replied, his voice calm, steady, and terrifyingly cold. “My security team recovered the offline server backups you tried to erase. The District Attorney has already signed the arrest warrants.”
As if on cue, the heavy double doors opened once more.
Four uniform police officers and two federal investigators stepped into the lounge.
“Victoria Lane, Charles Lane,” the lead detective announced, pulling out two pairs of handcuffs. “You are under arrest for felony child abuse, illegal restraint, corporate fraud, and conspiracy to commit grand larceny.”
“No!” Victoria screamed, backing up against the glass window as an officer stepped forward. “Get your hands off me! Do you know who I am? Richard, tell them to stop! You can’t do this to me!”
Richard watched in absolute silence as the metal cuffs clicked tightly around Victoria’s manicured wrists. She fought, screamed, and cursed his name as she was dragged out of the penthouse lounge, her diamond bracelet catching on the doorframe as she went.
Charles Lane collapsed into a chair, hiding his face in his hands as the federal agents led him away in silence.
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Richard turned toward the window, looking out over the city. The threat to his sons was finally eliminated.
But as he looked at his reflection in the glass, he realized the hardest part of his journey was just beginning: winning back the heart of the woman he had wronged.
