The Law Arrives
The courtyard fell silent as a black police cruiser rolled up the driveway, its lights flashing like a warning.
Two uniformed officers stepped out, their steps measured, faces set.
“Roland Ashby?” one asked, voice flat.
I swallowed, my throat raw. “Yes.”
“You are under arrest for multiple counts of financial fraud, child endangerment, and violation of a restraining order,” the other declared, sliding a thick file across the marble.
My eyes flicked to the twins, their small hands still clutched to my sleeves, their gazes now filled with a terror I had never imagined they could feel.
Evelyn’s face turned to stone as she watched, her anger melting into a cold, satisfied calm.
“You built your empire on stolen investor money, Roland,” the first officer said, tapping the documents. “The SEC has been tracing your transactions for years.”
My mind raced back to the night I’d thrown Naomi out, the desperation that drove me to siphon funds, the lies that kept the façade intact.
“This is… this is a mistake,” I stammered, feeling the weight of every decision
