Chapter 5 - The Frame Job
Claire stared at the gruesome, horrifying murder scene in pure, unadulterated shock.
Someone had deliberately placed the bloody murder weapon on her personal desk to perfectly frame her.
Before Adrian could even attempt to wipe the knife, heavy footsteps echoed rapidly down the quiet hallway.
A dozen heavily armed, aggressive police officers stormed violently onto the administrative floor.
"Nobody move a single muscle," the lead detective shouted loudly, aiming his weapon directly at Claire.
Adrian instantly stepped protectively in front of her, shielding her completely with his tall, imposing frame.
"These specific officers are actively on the Petrov payroll," Marcus whispered urgently from the office doorway.
"You have absolutely no legal jurisdiction in this building, Detective," Adrian warned in a truly lethal tone.
The corrupt detective merely smirked and confidently pulled out a completely forged arrest warrant.
"We received an anonymous tip that Claire Bennett brutally murdered her supervisor to cover up massive corporate theft," the detective sneered.
Claire felt her weak knees buckle, but Adrian wrapped a remarkably strong arm tightly around her waist.
"If you attempt to take my beloved fiancé, you will absolutely not walk out of this building alive," Adrian threatened.
Dozens of elite Vale security contractors suddenly poured into the office, massively outnumbering the police three to one.
The corrupt detective rapidly broke out in a cold sweat, realizing he had severely miscalculated the explosive situation.
"This is absolutely not completely over, Vale," the detective muttered angrily, slowly lowering his drawn gun.
The police retreated aggressively into the elevator, but the devastating damage had already been fully done.
Claire was now considered a prime suspect in a highly public, incredibly brutal murder investigation.
Adrian quickly escorted her to a private freight elevator that descended directly to the hidden docks.
"They are desperately trying to force me to hand you over to the corrupt authorities," Adrian explained calmly.
Claire wiped a fresh tear from her cheek, feeling utterly exhausted and completely defeated by the nightmare.
Her cell phone suddenly buzzed loudly in her pocket with a restricted, highly encrypted video call.
She answered it incredibly cautiously, her terrified breath catching deeply in her dry throat.
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Jeremy's smiling, completely arrogant face appeared brightly on the small phone screen.
He brutally turned the camera around to show Claire's younger sister, Lily, tied securely to a wooden chair.
