Chapter 4 - The Framed Man
I woke up to the harsh, blinding lights of a police interrogation room.
My head throbbed violently, and my hands were handcuffed to a metal table.
I blinked repeatedly, trying to make sense of my surroundings.
A stern-looking detective walked into the room and threw a file onto the table.
"You really messed up this time, Mateo," the detective said with absolute disgust.
"Where is my wife?" I demanded, pulling against the metal chains.
"She is in the intensive care unit, fighting for her life and your baby's life," the detective replied coldly.
Panic washed over me in a massive, suffocating wave.
"I didn't do this!" I shouted desperately.
"My mother and my brother Julian drugged her!"
The detective let out a bitter, disbelieving laugh.
"Your brother hasn't been in the country for five years, Mateo," he stated.
"And your mother is currently in the hospital being treated for the severe injuries you gave her."
I stared at him in complete shock.
"They staged it," I whispered, realizing the depth of their evil plan.
"We have an eyewitness who saw you smash the front door and assault your pregnant wife," the detective continued.
"Your mother tried to stop you, and you beat her too."
I needed my phone to prove they were lying.
"Check the security cameras in my house," I pleaded.
"I activated the hidden system before I left."
The detective shook his head slowly.
"Our tech team already swept your house, and every single camera hard drive was wiped clean an hour before we arrived."
Julian had erased all the evidence of their crimes while I was unconscious.
I was completely trapped in a web of their lies.
Then, the interrogation room door opened, and a smug lawyer in a tailored suit walked in.
It was my boss from the law firm, Mr. Sterling.
"I am here to represent my client," Sterling said smoothly.
The detective nodded and left the room, leaving us alone.
"Thank God you're here, Sterling," I sighed with relief.
Sterling smiled a cold, terrifying smile and leaned over the table.
May you like
"I am not here to help you, Mateo," he whispered maliciously.
"I am the one who bought your house from Julian."
