Chapter 11 - The Invisible AudienceDaniel froze, his hands dropping to his sides. "What... what are you talking about? The files said—"
"The files said whatever I programmed them to say when I realized you were browsing my secure drive three months ago," Claire said, standing up and pulling the wool blanket from her shoulders. Underneath, she wasn't wearing loungewear; she was wearing a sharp, tailored navy suit.
She turned toward the antique grandfather clock in the corner of the living room.
"You can come out now, Detective," Claire called out.
The side door to the study opened, and Detective Vance—no relation to Daniel—stepped into the room, followed by two state troopers carrying tactical gear. In the detective’s hand was a digital recording device, its red light glowing steadily.
"Daniel Vance," Detective Rodriguez said, stepping forward. "You are under arrest for felony extortion, domestic battery, and multiple counts of corporate bank fraud. Hands behind your back."
Vanessa screamed, dropping to her knees on the floor. "I didn't know! I swear I didn't know about the extortion! He told me we were just coming here to talk to her!"
"Save it for the station, miss," one of the state troopers said, stepping forward to pull Vanessa up, clicking handcuffs around her wrists.
Daniel looked around wildly, his eyes darting toward the front door, but the two troopers blocked the exit, their hands resting on their sidearms. The arrogance that had defined his face for eight years finally, completely shattered, leaving behind nothing but the raw, pathetic terror of a criminal who had run out of road.
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"Claire, please!" Daniel yelled as the officers forced his arms behind his back, the steel cuffs biting into his skin. "We can talk about this! I was stressed! The money... I can pay it back! Don't do this to me!"
Claire didn't answer. She stood by the window, her back turned to him, watching the rain beat against the glass as they dragged her past out into the storm.
