Part 4: When the hunter becomes prey.

Part 4: When the hunter becomes prey.

Within twenty minutes, the tranquil gates of the Oakridge Estate were flooded with flashing red and blue lights. The siren wails pierced the stormy night air, illuminating the heavy rain in bursts of crimson and navy.

Four uniformed police officers and two plainclothes detectives stepped into the grand foyer.

Veronica was still on the floor, her hair tangled, her expensive makeup ruined, looking like a shattered shell of the glamorous woman who had hosted a charity gala just forty-eight hours prior.

"Veronica Harrison," Detective Miller said, stepping forward with a pair of steel handcuffs. "You are under arrest for conspiracy to commit murder, attempted homicide, and corporate fraud. You have the right to remain silent."

"Get your filthy hands off me!" Veronica screamed, squirming hysterically as the cold metal snapped around her wrists. "Do you know who I am?! I am Mrs. David Harrison! David, tell them! Tell them it’s a misunderstanding!"

David stood by the fireplace, his arm wrapped firmly around my shoulders. He didn't even look at her. He kept his eyes fixed on the rain outside, his expression carved out of granite.

As the officers dragged Veronica toward the front doors, Detective Miller turned to my father. "Mr. Harrison, we have a tactical team currently surrounding Marcus Sterling’s penthouse downtown. He won't be escaping the country tonight."

"Ensure he doesn't," David said quietly. "And Detective... check the black Mercedes parked in Marcus's garage. The license plate matches the vehicle that rammed my daughter's car off the mountain road."

Detective Miller nodded grimly. "We’ll secure the evidence, sir. Your daughter will need to come to the station tomorrow to give a formal statement once her injuries are treated."

After the police cruisers drove away, their sirens fading into the distant night, an eerie quiet settled over the house.

My father turned to me, his hands shaking as he gently cupped my face, examining the deep bruise on my cheek and the cut on my lip. Tears welled in his sharp eyes—tears of genuine fatherly love that I hadn't seen since my mother passed away three years ago.

"I am so sorry, Maya," he choked out, his voice breaking. "I failed you. I brought a monster into our home because I was lonely... and I almost lost you because of my own blind stupidity."

"You didn't lose me, Dad," I whispered, resting my head against his chest. "I held onto the phone because I knew I had to come back and protect you."

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And the next morning, Marcus Sterling was going to realize he had picked a fight with the wrong family.