Chapter 31 - The price of silence has expired
A deafening siren pierced the nighttime rain from the end of the street.
Flashing red and blue lights pierced through the rain, illuminating the design studio's waiting area—a perfect recreation of the vibrant green lights of Lilac Street that once rocked the neighborhood. But this time, none of the relatives stepped forward to cover for him. There is no escape for the perpetrator either.
Daniel froze, the metal chair in his hands clattering to the floor. He turned to flee towards the back emergency exit, but as soon as the door swung open, Sarah's bodyguard and four armed police officers stormed in, blocking all escape routes.
"Stand still! Put your hands up!" The stern voice of the police officer boomed.
Daniel struggled frantically, trying to break through the police cordon, but was immediately tackled to the cold concrete floor. The dry, sharp click of the handcuffs echoed in the silent space after the car horn had just stopped blaring.
"You can't arrest me! She's my family! This is a family matter!" Daniel yelled as two police officers lifted him up, his face pressed against the rain-soaked floor, his former arrogance completely shattered by utter humiliation.
Sarah pressed the button to unlock the steel door separating the rooms and stepped out into the lobby. She held in her hand a tablet containing the entire original video footage from Chloe's phone. Along with the security camera footage of the incident, it was handed directly to the inspector in charge.
"Our family feud ended the day you beat me up on the pitch, Daniel," Sarah stopped in front of him as the police escorted him past her. Her voice was soft but echoed throughout the room: "Before, you made me pay for my silence with my dignity and freedom. Now, it's your turn to pay the price for every lie you've told before the law."
May you like
Daniel glared at her, but in his eyes now there was no longer aggression, but absolute terror at a woman who had completely spiraled out of his control.
The glass door closed as the police car carrying Daniel disappeared into the rain. The neighborhood's power had just been restored, and the warm yellow lights in the studio came back on. Sarah let out a long sigh, her shoulders relaxing completely. The nightmare named Daniel had officially been erased from her life.
