The room fell into an icy, suffocating silence as the elevator bell chimed from the private foyer.
Two uniformed police officers stepped out of the brass elevator doors, accompanied by a tall man in a dark grey suit.
Detective Miller: Richard Vance?
Richard: Detective... what is the meaning of this intrusion into my residence?
Detective Miller: We have an arrest warrant issued by the State Superior Court for felony fraud, forgery, and embezzlement.
Amber: Arrest warrant?! Richard, do something! Call our defense lawyers!
Richard: Officer, there has been a massive misunderstanding! My business partner's sister is trying to stage a hostile takeover!
Sienna: Hand the detective the audit file, Arthur.
The lawyer in the grey suit stepped forward, handing a thick blue binder directly to Detective Miller.
Arthur: Detective, this file contains certified records showing Mr. Vance transferred eight million dollars out of the family trust into personal accounts under Amber Reed's name.
Amber: Under MY name?! I never opened any offshore accounts!
Arthur: Here are the signature pages, Miss Reed. Your signature is on thirty-four wire transfer authorizations.
Amber ran over to the lawyer, grabbing the paper to look at the bottom line.
Her eyes went wide as she recognized her own handwriting on every single document.
Amber: Richard... these were the papers you told me were for our tax exemption forms!
Richard: Amber, keep your mouth shut right now!
Amber: You told me to sign them at breakfast! You told me it was for our future home in the Hamptons!
Detective Miller: Miss Reed, you have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law.
Amber: I didn't steal any money! He tricked me! He used me as a shield!
Sienna walked over to Amber, looking down at her with cold, unyielding eyes.
Sienna: You were so eager to wear his diamonds and live in his penthouse that you didn't even ask where the money came from.
Amber: Please, Sienna... I didn't know! I swear on my life I didn't know he was married!
Sienna: Ignorance is not a defense when you're spending stolen inheritance money, Amber.
Officer Jenkins stepped behind Richard, pulling his arms back and snapping cold steel handcuffs around his wrists.
Richard: Sienna! Stop this! Think about the company reputation! Think about the family name!
Sienna: My father built that company name on honesty and hard work. You dragged it through the mud for your own greed.
Richard: I made that company millions! You would be nothing without my management!
Sienna: You spent millions on sports cars, private jets, and red mini-dresses for young girls while my sister was sick in the hospital.
Amber dropped to her knees on the marble floor, sobbing hysterically as the second officer stepped toward her with handcuffs.
Officer: Miss Reed, please place your hands behind your back.
Amber: Please! Don't take me to jail! I don't have anything! I don't even have money for a lawyer!
Richard: Don't say another word, Amber! They're trapping you!
Amber: SHUT UP, RICHARD! YOU DESTROYED MY LIFE!
The officers guided Richard toward the elevator, his head hung low as the metallic doors closed behind him.
Amber remained on the floor, her hands cuffed behind her back, weeping against the cold marble.