Chapter 10 - The Chains of Judgment
United States Attorney Marcus Sterling and a team of forty federal marshals entered the secured ballroom, stepping over the disarmed cartel operatives.
Attorney Sterling walked straight up to the stage, unrolling a thick stack of federal indictments bearing the gold seal of the Department of Justice.
“Julian Croft and Corinne Delacroix,” the federal prosecutor announced, his voice carrying the full weight of the United States government.
“Under federal warrants issued by the First Circuit Court of Appeals, you are both placed under immediate arrest.”
“The charges include two counts of attempted aggravated first-degree murder of minors, conspiracy to commit chemical and physical infanticide, felony human trafficking, hiring foreign mercenaries for domestic terrorism, and sixty counts of federal corporate embezzlement.”
Two federal marshals grabbed Corinne, wrenching her arms behind her back with cold efficiency.
Her expensive black mourning dress tore along the seam as heavy steel handcuffs snapped around her wrists.
“Get your hands off me!” Corinne shrieked hysterically, thrashing wildly.
“My father is a federal magistrate! You cannot arrest me!”
Magistrate Delacroix walked up to the edge of the stage, looking at his daughter with utter disgust and heartbreak.
“You are no daughter of mine, Corinne,” the Magistrate said, his voice trembling with righteous fury.
“I personally signed your arrest warrant twenty minutes ago.”
“May God have mercy on your wicked soul, because the law will have none.”
Corinne was dragged down the stage stairs, sobbing and screaming as high-society photographers captured every second of her humiliation.
Meanwhile, two tactical marshals hauled Julian Croft to his feet, ignoring his shrieks of pain from his broken kneecap.
The cold steel ratcheted tightly around his wrists, locking his hands behind his back.
Julian looked at me one last time, his bloodshot eyes pleading for a shred of mercy that did not exist in this world.
“Elena… please… think of our wedding… think of the vows we took…” Julian choked out, tears dripping from his chin.
I gently placed my hands over Aurelia and Seraphina, shielding their ears from his pathetic voice.
“Our vows died on the concrete under that bridge, Julian,” I said, my voice sharp as a diamond blade.
“You threw away angels because you wanted a pawn.”
May you like
“Now, enjoy your cell.”
The marshals dragged Julian down the center aisle of the ballroom, his polished shoes scraping helplessly across the floor, leaving a trail of disgrace that the morning papers would immortalize forever.
