Chapter 7 - The Arrest
The realization that the angel was gone hit Ethan harder than the physical explosion.
He scrambled to his knees in the dark, his bleeding hands frantically sweeping the debris-covered concrete floor.
"Ethan, stop, we need to move before the fire spreads down here," Claire pleaded, grabbing his shoulders.
"I cannot leave him behind," Ethan panicked, his usual cold demeanor completely shattered by the loss of his only comfort.
Claire framed his soot-covered face with both of her hands, forcing him to look into her eyes.
"You don't need the angel anymore, Ethan, because I am right here," she promised softly.
The profound truth of her words finally broke through his frantic state, anchoring him to the present moment.
He nodded slowly, intertwining his fingers with hers as they stood up on shaky legs.
They limped through the abandoned construction floor, following the faint glow of emergency exit signs.
When they finally pushed through the lobby doors and stumbled out onto the chaotic Chicago street, the cold night air felt like heaven.
Dozens of fire trucks and police cruisers surrounded the towering skyscraper, their red and blue lights painting the street in frantic colors.
Paramedics rushed toward them, wrapping them in thick thermal blankets and checking their severe burns.
As a medic cleaned the nasty cut on Ethan's forehead, he looked at Claire sitting on the bumper of the ambulance.
He realized he had spent twenty-two years building an empire, but she was the only thing that truly mattered.
Before he could walk over and tell her exactly how he felt, a heavy hand clamped down on his injured shoulder.
Ethan turned around to find three police detectives glaring at him with utter contempt.
"Ethan Mercer, you are under arrest for corporate sabotage, arson, and the attempted murder of your employees," the lead detective announced loudly.
Claire jumped up from the ambulance, her blanket falling to the wet pavement in pure shock.
"What are you talking about, he is the victim here," Claire screamed, running toward the officers.
The detective pulled a pair of heavy steel handcuffs from his belt and roughly secured Ethan's wrists behind his back.
"We have a sworn statement and security footage from Marcus Vance proving that you set the fire to collect the insurance money," the detective sneered.
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Ethan locked eyes with Claire as they shoved him aggressively toward the back of the police cruiser.
"Find the backup drive in my apartment, Claire," Ethan shouted before the cruiser door violently slammed shut.
