The metallic rattle of the shattered phone screen against the marble floor was the only sound in the penthouse, aside from Victoria’s ragged, choking breaths.

Glass shattered in every direction as four black-clad tactical operators swung into the penthouse on heavy rappelling ropes from the rooftop above.

"POLICE! DROP THE WEAPON!" a booming voice echoed through the vast apartment.

Red laser sights danced across Julian’s chest and forehead.

Julian gasped in shock, spinning around and firing his pistol blindly toward the windows. A heavy tactical shield blocked his bullet with a deafening metallic THUD.

Before Julian could rack another round, a flashbang grenade was tossed across the marble floor.

BOOM!

A blinding burst of white light and a ear-splitting roar filled the living room. Julian shrieked in agony, dropping his gun and clutching his blinded eyes as the concussive force knocked him off his feet.

Two SWAT officers tackled Julian to the floor, pinning his arms behind his back with crushing weight. Steel handcuffs clicked around his wrists with absolute, final authority.

"TARGET SECURED!" an officer shouted into his headset. "NURSERY SECURED! BABY IS SAFE!"

Through the smoke and ringing in her ears, Victoria dragged herself across the floor toward the nursery. Maria was already there, throwing her body over the crib to shield little Leo from any stray glass or debris.

Victoria stumbled into the nursery, pulling Leo out of the crib and crushing him against her chest. The baby was crying—frightened by the loud noise—but he was alive, untouched, and completely safe.

"Leo... my baby... my sweet boy," Victoria sobbed hysterically, rocking back and forth on the plush rug, her blood staining the collar of her white suit.

A tall, silver-haired man in a dark tailored trench coat stepped through the ruined living room, accompanied by Detective Marcus Vance of the LAPD Major Crimes Division.

It was Arthur Vance—Victoria’s father.

"Victoria!" Arthur cried out, his voice cracking as he rushed into the nursery and dropped to his knees, wrapping his strong arms around his daughter and grandson. "Thank God... thank God you're safe!"

Victoria buried her face in her father's shoulder, weeping uncontrollably. "Dad... he knew... he tried to poison Leo... he tried to destroy us..."

"I know, sweetheart," Arthur said, tears streaming down his weathered, powerful face. "Maria called my security team thirty minutes ago while you were confronting him. She kept her phone in her apron pocket on a open line with my head of security."

Victoria looked up at Maria, who was sitting on the floor near the crib, clutching her knees and weeping tears of pure relief.

Detective Marcus Vance walked into the room, holstering his sidearm. He looked down at Victoria with deep respect.

"Mrs. Sterling," Detective Vance said quietly. "We searched your husband’s briefcase and his vehicle downstairs. We found forged passport documents under three different aliases, one hundred thousand dollars in cash, and three additional vials of thallium sulfate. Along with Maria’s video evidence and the phone recording of his confession, Julian Sterling is going away for attempted murder, child endangerment, conspiracy, and treasonous fraud. He will never set foot in polite society again."

Outside in the hallway, Julian was being dragged toward the elevator by four armed officers, his face covered in cuts from the shattered glass, his wild eyes screaming cursing threats that nobody was listening to anymore.