Chapter 9 - On Their Knees
The grand ballroom, where twelve hours ago I had hung in agony, was now cold and silent.
The crystal chandeliers flickered dimly. The broken champagne flutes from the previous night still littered the floorboards. The exposed wooden beam stood above us, stark and accusing.
The federal marshals had rounded up the family.
Adrian Vale, Marcus Vale, Eleanor Vale, and Vanessa Crowe were forced to sit on the low wooden chairs beneath the very beam where I had been bound.
The District Attorney himself stood near the entrance, reviewing the digital binder Leo had prepared: unassailable chains of custody, tax evasion records, bank transcripts, and the pristine 4K video of the assault.
"There is no bail for this," the DA said quietly to Adrian’s arriving private attorney, who had turned pale the moment he saw Luca Moretti in the room. "The severity of the domestic torture charge, combined with the federal fraud indictments... your clients are remanded into federal custody pending trial."
Eleanor was sobbing uncontrollably, her designer dress ruined, her manicured fingers clawing at her face. "Please, Anna... we are family... you were my daughter-in-law..."
I walked over to her. I crouched down so my eyes were level with hers.
"When I was hanging from that beam, Eleanor, begging for a glass of water, you told me that gutter rats don't deserve water." I tilted my head. "Do you remember that?"
Eleanor choked on her tears, unable to look at me.
I turned to Vanessa, who was shaking violently in her handcuffs.
"You said thirty strikes. One for every thousand dollars your dress cost," I whispered.
"I’m sorry... I’m so sorry..." Vanessa cried, snot and mascara running down her cheeks. "I didn't know who you were!"
"That is your crime, Vanessa," I said softly. "You only respect power. You only fear those who can destroy you. You thought I was helpless, so you chose cruelty."
Finally, I stopped in front of Adrian.
My husband. The man I had once thought loved me, who had taken my quiet loyalty for weakness.
He looked up at me, his eyes bloodshot, trembling. "Anna... don't do this. I'll give you the estate. I'll give you everything. Just drop the charges. Don't send me to prison."
I reached out and gently touched his cheek. He flinched, terrified.
"You don't have an estate anymore, Adrian," I said, my voice smooth and merciless. "Marco bought the liens on this house thirty minutes ago. Dante owns the land beneath it. Matteo owns the ports that took your goods. And Leo owns every dirty secret in your head."
I stepped back, wiping my fingers with a clean linen handkerchief.
May you like
"You have nothing left to give me."
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