Chapter 6 - The Viral Evidence
Arthur Sterling did not back down from Brad's aggressive threat.
He calmly informed the corrupt politician that he had enough personal wealth to buy the entire town twice.
Brad scoffed, claiming that the police still had physical evidence of my theft and that I was going to prison regardless of Arthur's money.
The lead officer reluctantly agreed with Brad, stating that they had found the stolen property inside my bag.
He told Arthur that they had to follow the letter of the law, no matter who was complaining.
My heart sank completely as the officer tightened the handcuffs around my wrists.
I looked at Mia, promising her that everything would be okay and that I would call her aunt to come pick her up.
Just as the officer began to lead me toward the hotel lobby, the young resort employee named Sam stepped directly into our path.
Sam held his cell phone high in the air, his screen glowing brightly in the afternoon sun.
He nervously cleared his throat and announced that he had proof of exactly what happened.
Sam explained that he was a popular travel vlogger who wore a discreet camera pinned to his shirt while he worked.
He said he had been secretly recording the entire altercation for his internet channel because he knew Brad was going to cause trouble.
Sam tapped the screen of his phone and turned the volume all the way up.
The video clearly showed Cassandra unclasping her watch and intentionally slipping it into my open tote bag while I was distracted.
The crowd gasped in collective shock, instantly turning their furious glares toward Cassandra.
Arthur Sterling smiled with deep satisfaction and ordered the police officers to watch the video very carefully.
The officers looked at the crystal-clear footage, their faces hardening as they realized they had been manipulated by a corrupt politician.
The lead officer immediately pulled out his keys and unlocked the handcuffs from my wrists.
I rubbed my bruised skin and pulled Mia into a tight, desperate embrace.
Brad’s face turned bright red with pure, uncontrollable rage.
He realized his reputation, his political career, and his girlfriend were completely ruined.
In a fit of blind panic, Brad lunged forward and violently snatched the phone out of Sam's hand.
Before anyone could stop him, Brad threw the phone as hard as he could into the deep end of the swimming pool.
He laughed maniacally, claiming that without the physical device, there was absolutely no proof of the crime.
Sam looked down at the bubbling water where his phone had just sunk.
Instead of looking defeated, a massive, victorious grin spread across the young employee's face.
Sam looked Brad dead in the eye and delivered the most devastating news possible.
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He told the arrogant politician that the camera was not recording to the local device.
Sam had been live-streaming the entire incident to over two million subscribers on the internet.
