Chapter 5 - The Police and the Quiet Dignity
Beverly Hills PD arrived within four minutes. Sirens wailed down Rodeo Drive.
Mia stood outside the boutique, still streaming, playing the victim-hero. "It was so scary, guys. I just had to do the right thing. You know me, I stand up for justice."
Inside, Clara sat in a plush leather chair in the manager's office. An officer read her Miranda rights. Clara remained utterly poised. She made one phone call. She didn't call her husband. She called Marcus Vance, the head of Sterling Private Equity’s ruthless legal division.
"Marcus," Clara said quietly. "I am being arrested for grand larceny at the Atelier Vancour. Send the crisis team. And Marcus... buy the building."
"Excuse me, Clara? Buy the boutique?" Marcus asked over the line.
"No. Buy the entire commercial building. I want absolute, legal ownership of their security server by the time I post bail."
As Clara was escorted out of the boutique in handcuffs, the paparazzi and Mia’s fans were waiting. Camera flashes blinded the street. Mia stood at the front of the crowd, pointing and sneering.
May you like
Clara stopped briefly. She looked directly into Mia’s camera lens. Clara didn't look humiliated. She looked like a predator marking its prey.
"You have made a very, very expensive mistake," Clara whispered. The police gently guided her into the back of the cruiser.
