Chapter 10 - The First Arrest
Mason shoved Adrian to the floor as glass burst across the table. Grace killed the recorder's screen and crawled behind a cabinet. Elena grabbed the tin box and pulled it against her chest.
A man in a dark jacket climbed through the broken window. Mason tackled him before he could reach the table. They crashed into a bookcase. The intruder struck Mason's shoulder, tore free, and ran through the kitchen.
Grace called the police. The man Mason had caught was arrested carrying a phone with recent messages from a number registered to a company Celeste controlled. He refused to answer questions.
It should have been a victory. Instead, within two hours, the story had leaked to the press: Billionaire's Former Nanny Accused of Breaking Into Fire-Damaged Estate. A doctored photograph showed Elena holding the tin box, and a source claimed she had threatened the Vale family for years.
The police returned with a warrant for Elena's bag and the room she rented. She stood still while they searched, her jaw tight as officers opened drawers and turned over the few things she owned.
One officer found a diamond locket in the lining of her coat.
Elena stared at it. "That isn't mine."
Adrian stepped forward. "She didn't put that there."
The officer held up a hand. "Sir, please step back."
Elena was taken to the station in handcuffs. The old accusation had returned, polished and ready for the cameras.
At the station, Celeste arrived with a lawyer and a face full of concern. She told reporters that she had always feared Elena was unstable, that Adrian was vulnerable, and that she hoped the truth would protect the family.
"You planted it," he said when she passed him.
Celeste leaned close enough that only he could hear. "You should have kept believing the story I gave you. Your life was easier that way."
He wanted to grab her. Instead, he stepped aside and let Grace hand the detective a copy of the photograph, the work order, and the recorder's recovered metadata.
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"Ms. Harrow," he said, turning toward Celeste, "we need you to come with us."
"You don't have the boy," she whispered to Adrian. "Not yet."
