Chapter 5 - The Press Conference
By noon the next day, the front steps of the county courthouse were a chaotic sea of flashing camera lights, booming microphones, and aggressive reporters shouting over one another. Headlines blazed across every major news network: *‘Corporate Titan Daniel Miller Arrested in Domestic Abuse and Multi-Million Dollar Embezzlement Scandal.’*
Margaret Miller pushed her way through the media horde flanked by a high-priced defense team, her sunglasses hiding her tear-streaked eyes. When a reporter thrust a microphone toward her face asking, *“Mrs. Miller, did you know about your son’s illegal accounts?”*, she spat, “My son is an innocent victim of a malicious, calculated extortion plot orchestrated by a gold-digging liar!”
Inside a black tinted SUV parked two blocks away, I watched the live broadcast on my tablet alongside Dr. Elena Morris and my attorney, Sarah Jenkins.
“Let her scream,” Sarah said with a confident smile, tapping her tablet screen. “Every time Margaret opens her mouth to defend Daniel, she digs their collective grave deeper. The prosecutors just froze all joint assets, trusts, and corporate holdings connected to the Miller family.”
“What about Richard Vance?” I asked, turning to Sarah. “He hasn’t been arrested yet.”
“Federal warrants are being signed as we speak,” Sarah replied smoothly. “The moment Richard realizes Daniel gave up the entire ledger, he’s going to run. And when he runs, he’ll try to tie up loose ends.”
My phone buzzed. It was an anonymous text message containing a single address in an industrial district by the harbor, along with three words: *‘He’s coming for you.’*
My heart skipped a beat. Richard Vance knew about the safehouse. He knew I was the primary witness holding the keys to his prison cell. If the police didn’t arrest him within the hour, Richard was going to eliminate the threat himself.
“Elena,” I said, my voice eerily calm as I slipped my coat on. “We need to move. Right now.”
“Where to?” Dr. Morris asked, sensing the sudden shift in my tone.
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“Straight into the lion's den,” I replied, pulling a small, legal recording device from my bag and slipping it into my pocket. “If Richard wants me dead, I’m going to make sure he delivers his confession directly to a live federal wire.”
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