Chapter 4 - The Confrontation in Marble
The main foyer looked exactly as it had hours before, but the energy in the room was entirely different. The staff had been dismissed to their quarters, leaving only Ethan, Rosa, and Lily standing at the bottom of the staircase.
The heavy front doors swung open. Natalie walked in, flanked by two men in high-end suits carrying briefcases, and a stern-faced police officer. Natalie had changed into a sharp white pantsuit, looking every bit the ruthless socialite.
“Ethan,” Natalie said, her voice dripping with artificial confidence. “This little tantrum has gone far enough. You can’t lock me out of my own home. We are engaged. And your security guards put their hands on me.”
“This is my home, Natalie,” Ethan said smoothly, stepping forward. “And our engagement ended the moment you laid a hand on a child in this house.”
Natalie laughed, a brittle, ugly sound. “Over a maid’s brat? Are you insane? Officer, I want this woman, Rosa Morales, investigated for theft. She and her daughter stole a priceless family heirloom from my jewelry box this morning.”
The police officer stepped forward, looking uncomfortable. “Mr. Harmon, Miss Voss filed a report claiming a theft occurred on the premises.”
“There was no theft,” Ethan said. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a transparent plastic evidence bag containing the gold button. “Officer, this is a piece of evidence from a four-year-old homicide investigation. The murder of my brother, Julian Harmon.”
The officer blinked, catching his breath. “Sir?”
“Ethan, stop this nonsense!” Natalie snapped, her facade cracking. “It’s a button! I found it in a vintage shop in Paris!”
“Really?” Ethan smiled, but there was no warmth in it. It was the smile of a predator that had finally cornered its prey. “Because thirty minutes ago, I had my tech team run a digital scan on the button Lily found. Do you know what they found in the microscopic grooves of the crest, Natalie?”
Natalie stayed silent, her eyes widening.
“Dried blood,” Ethan said softly. “DNA testing will take twenty-four hours, but I’m willing to bet my entire empire that the blood belongs to my brother. And do you know what else we found? A partial fingerprint on the underside of the button. It doesn’t belong to Lily. It doesn’t belong to Rosa. It matches the fingerprint profile on your international passport, Natalie.”
The two lawyers next to Natalie looked at each other, slowly taking a step away from her.
“This is a setup,” Natalie whispered, backing toward the door. “You’re fabricating this to get out of the prenuptial agreement.”
“Officer,” Ethan said, ignoring her. “I am launching a full private investigation into Natalie Voss for the murder of Julian Harmon and the extortion of the Harmon family. I suggest you take her into custody before she tries to leave the country.”
The officer looked at Natalie, his hand moving toward his handcuffs. “Miss Voss, I need you to come down to the station for questioning.”
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“No! Get away from me!” Natalie shrieked. She glared at Rosa, her face distorted with pure, unadulterated hatred. “You ruin everything! Just like your pathetic boyfriend did! He thought he could leave me for a filthy waitress? He got exactly what he deserved!”
The room went dead silent. Natalie’s own lawyers stared at her in horror. She had just confessed.
