Chapter 7 - The Arrest
Julian’s eyes widened slightly. He was a man accustomed to buying his way out of every inconvenience, a man whose lawyers could resolve any issue with a single phone call. Being ordered to his knees in his own living room was an humiliation he could barely comprehend.
"Do you know who I am?" Julian said, his voice dropping into that quiet, dangerous tone he used to terrify Meilin. "I am Julian Thorne. I own this entire floor. I pay the salaries of the city council members who fund your department. Call Captain Miller immediately."
"I don't care if you're the Mayor, sir," the officer replied, taking a step forward and unclipping his handcuffs. "Get on your knees and place your hands behind your head, or we will use force."
For three agonizing seconds, Julian stood still in the middle of his ruined living room. The warm interior light reflected off the shattered glass around his feet. He looked past the police officer, through the open doorway, and caught Meilin's gaze.
In his eyes, Meilin saw a promise—a dark, terrifying promise that this was not over. Handcuffs were a temporary setback; his money, his influence, and his sociopathic persistence would not simply disappear.
Slowly, deliberately, Julian sank to his knees amongst the broken glass. He placed his bloody hands behind his head, interlocking his fingers.
The officer stepped behind him, pulled his arms down, and clicked the steel cuffs around his wrists.
"Julian Thorne, you are under arrest for domestic assault, false imprisonment, and felony battery," the officer recited smoothly as he pulled Julian to his feet.
Arthur walked slowly out of the apartment, leaning heavily against the doorframe, holding his side. He looked at Meilin and gave her a small, exhausted nod. "It's done, Meilin. The Feds are already seizing his servers at the corporate headquarters. He won't be able to touch his offshore funds to post bail tonight."
Meilin looked down at Lily, who had stopped crying and was resting her head softly against Meilin's shoulder. The child’s thumb was back in her mouth, her eyes heavy with exhaustion.
"Is it really over?" Meilin whispered, her voice barely audible over the hum of the air conditioning.
May you like
Arthur looked at the handcuffed man being led past them into the hallway by the two police officers. Julian didn't look down. He held his head high, his expression calm, detached, and terrifyingly serene.
"The physical part is over," Arthur said quietly. "Now comes the hard part."
