Chapter 6 - The Fall of Patricia
Patricia stood frozen, her eyes darting around the room as the reality of the situation began to shift beneath her feet. "Emiliano... what is the meaning of this? Are you really going to take the word of children and a servant over mine?"
Emiliano stood up, keeping one hand on Martina's shoulder. He looked at Patricia with eyes so devoid of warmth that she involuntarily took a step back.
"I never went to Europe, Patricia," he said softly.
Patricia went pale. "What?"
"I never boarded the plane," Emiliano continued, stepping toward her. "For the last three days, I have been sitting in the security room at the end of the hall. I watched every hour. I watched every room. I heard every word."
Patricia’s lips parted, but no sound came out. Her mind raced, searching frantically for a way out, an excuse, a spin. "Emiliano... listen to me... it’s not what it looked like... I was just trying to maintain discipline... the stress of managing this estate—"
"I saw you throw my wife's picture into the fire," Emiliano said, his voice rising, filling the high ceilings of the mansion with a thunderous authority. "I saw you strike Rosa across the face! I saw you slip your own bracelet into her apron! And I saw you hand over forged legal documents to Julian Vance to steal my children's inheritance!"
At the mention of Vance's name, Patricia’s composure completely shattered. Her face twisted into a mask of pure terror. She reached into her pocket, her hand closing around the small amber vial of poison.
"Stay back!" she shrieked, backing toward the front doors. "You think you're so smart, Emiliano? You think you can judge me? You were so easy to fool! You were so blinded by your own grief that you didn't even notice your home rotting from the inside out!"
"I was blind," Emiliano admitted bitterly, taking another step forward. "But my eyes are wide open now."
Before Patricia could reach the door handle, the massive oak doors swung open from the outside. Marcos and four armed security officers stepped into the foyer, flanked by three uniformed police officers.
"Patricia Vance, also known as Patricia Miller," the lead police officer announced, holding up a federal warrant. "You are under arrest for conspiracy to commit murder, grand larceny, child abuse, and corporate fraud."
Patricia screamed, trying to scramble toward the side hallway, but Marcos caught her arm, twisting it behind her back with swift efficiency. The amber vial tumbled from her hand, shattering against the marble floor. The sharp, acrid smell of the chemical filled the air.
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As the officers clicked the handcuffs around her wrists, Patricia turned, spitting cursed words at Emiliano. "You will rot in this empty house, Emiliano! You and your weak, pathetic daughters!"
Emiliano didn't give her the satisfaction of a response. He simply turned his back on her as the police dragged her out into the cold night, her screams fading into the sirens outside.
