PART 3: THE TURNING POINT ON THE STONE
The terrace fell into a stunned, horrified silence, broken only by the clicking of automated news cameras and the low hum of the city below. Guests checked their phones in disbelief as the federal freeze orders on the Sterling accounts went live across financial networks nationwide.
Victoria stood over Clara, breathing heavily, her pristine white veil fluttering in the rooftop breeze. Her face was flushed with panic and fury. "You bitch! You absolute psychopath!" Victoria screamed, raising her arm to strike her again.
Before Victoria’s hand could descend, a firm, authoritative voice cut through the air. "Step away from her, Victoria. Right now."
The silver-haired man in the dark suit—Arthur Sterling, Victoria’s father—lunged forward, grabbing his daughter’s arm with a desperate grip. His face had turned completely ashen. He had just looked at his own phone screen and seen the federal warrant issued moments ago under his own name. The shimmering sequined woman nearby, Victoria’s mother, clutched her chest, collapsing weakly into a nearby chair as she realized their entire fortune had just vanished into thin air.
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Clara pushed herself up from the stone floor, wincing slightly as she dusted off her deep blue gown. Though her hair was slightly disheveled and her knee was scraped, her posture was entirely composed. She looked up at Victoria and Arthur with a calm, unyielding gaze that terrified them far more than any threat.
"You can push me, Victoria, and you can throw all the tantrums you want," Clara said, her voice carrying clearly across the silent terrace. "But you can't outrun the Department of Justice."
