Chapter 7 - Fractured Loyalties
Just as Clara gave the signal for officers to move in, Victoria’s phone buzzed franticly on the table. It was Marcus, warning her that federal agents had just raided his office and were heading her way. Realizing she had been set up, Victoria’s composure shattered into raw panic.
She grabbed the briefcase and shoved Clara backward, knocking over chairs as she sprinted toward the rear exit of the café. Plainclothes officers gave chase, but Victoria managed to slip through the kitchen and out into the crowded alleyway, where a waiting getaway driver whisked her away before the perimeter could be fully secured.
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Though Victoria had temporarily evaded arrest, the audio recording captured by Clara’s wire was airtight. Warrants for Victoria’s immediate arrest were issued nationwide, freeze orders were placed on all her known bank accounts, and her image was broadcast across national news as a dangerous fugitive.
Back at the estate, Julian embraced Clara with profound relief, praising her courage and intelligence. However, the knowledge that Victoria was at large and desperate made the air inside the mansion heavy with tension. Julian doubled the security detail, installed motion sensors along the perimeter, and vowed to stay by Leo’s side every single hour until Victoria was brought to justice.
