Chapter 20 - The Aftermath.The morning sun cast a pale, sickly light over the smoldering, blackened ruins of the Sterling estate.
Dozens of FBI agents combed the grounds, loading cartel mercenaries into armored transport vehicles.
Vanessa Sterling was escorted out in tight steel handcuffs, her eyes completely vacant and her spirit undeniably broken.
Paramedics had successfully stabilized Marcus, flying him to a secure federal hospital for emergency surgery.
Emily sat on the bumper of an ambulance, wrapped tightly in a thick foil blanket as an agent recorded her official statement.
She recounted every horrific detail, from the staged diamond theft to the bloody showdown on the violent cliffside dock.
The authorities had searched the freezing waters for hours, but they could not find Daniel Sterling's body anywhere.
The leading investigator assured Emily that no one could have survived a fall into that brutal, freezing current.
Despite the agent's absolute confidence, a cold knot of dread remained tightly coiled in the pit of Emily's stomach.
Weeks passed, and the incredible story of the billionaire cartel dominated every global news network.
Emily was relocated to a quiet, anonymous apartment in a different city under federal witness protection.
She had a new name, a new job, and a desperate desire to finally leave the shadows of the Sterling family behind.
She poured herself a cup of cheap coffee, staring out the window at the peaceful, mundane city street below.
For the first time in a month, she finally felt safe enough to breathe deeply and let her guard down.
Suddenly, her newly issued, encrypted government cell phone vibrated violently against the kitchen counter.
She slowly picked it up, her heart skipping a painful beat as an unknown, untraceable number flashed on the screen.
She swiped to open the incoming text message, her hands immediately beginning to tremble.
The message contained a single, low-resolution photograph of her new apartment building, taken from the street directly below.
May you like
Below the chilling image, a single line of text was typed in familiar, arrogant formatting.
"The maid always takes the fall, my dear, and the game is far from over."
