Chapter 6 - The Fall from Grace
Chloe and Derek didn't even have time to pack.
The federal marshals walked through the front doors of the estate right in the middle of Chloe's lavish party. The socialites and politicians watched in stunned, horrified silence as federal agents ordered the music turned off and began taping foreclosure notices to the antique mirrors.
"Get your hands off my things!" Chloe screamed as a female marshal escorted her toward the front door.
"It's not your property, ma'am," the marshal replied firmly.
I stood on the grand staircase, looking down at the crowd. The guests were frantically whispering, pulling out their phones to text the gossip to the entire city. Chloe Vance, the golden girl of the elite, was being thrown out of her own coronation party with nothing but the clothes on her back.
Derek was handcuffed on the front lawn. He had tried to make a run for his imported sports car, only to be tackled into the expensive landscaping by two agents.
"Mom! Please!" Chloe screamed, crying genuine tears of panic as she was pushed out the front doors into the humid evening air. "Don't do this! I'm your daughter!"
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"My daughter died the day she locked her father in that room," I said quietly, my voice carrying over the silent foyer. "The woman standing before me is just a thief."
The heavy oak doors slammed shut in her face. The party was over. The empire was mine again.
