Two uniformed police officers pushed through the double doors, followed by a detective in a trench coat holding a notepad.
Detective Miller: I am Detective Miller with city homicide. Who called in an attempted poisoning?
Julian: I did, Detective. My name is Julian Vance, CEO of Vance Financial Group.
Detective Miller: What happened here, Mr. Vance?
Julian: My business partner, Evelyn Reed, placed a cardiac paralytic into my drink. This waitress recorded the entire act on her phone.
Evelyn: Detective, this is a completely fabricated conspiracy! They are framing me to steal my corporate shares!
Detective Miller: Ma'am, keep your voice down. We will examine all the evidence in order.
Julian: Here is the video recording, Detective. And here is the foil packet that fell from her folder.
Detective Miller pulled out a pair of latex gloves, carefully picking up the silver packet with tweezers and placing it inside an evidence bag.
Detective Miller: This looks like a restricted pharmaceutical substance. Where did you get this, Ms. Reed?
Evelyn: I didn't drop that! The waitress planted it on the floor when she dropped her tray!
Maya: I never touched your folder! You held it against your chest the whole time!
Guest 1: We all saw it drop from her folder, Officer! She was holding it until Mr. Vance grabbed it!
Guest 2: She also threw hot water on the poor waitress's arm to destroy the phone!
Detective Miller looked at the red, blistered burn on Maya's arm, his eyes narrowing as he turned back to Evelyn.
Detective Miller: Aggravated assault, attempted murder, and evidence tampering. Turn around and put your hands behind your back, ma'am.
Evelyn: Do not put your hands on me! Do you know who my family is?!
Detective Miller: I don't care who your family is, ma'am. You are under arrest.
The metal handcuffs snapped shut around Evelyn's wrists with a loud click that echoed through the room.
Evelyn: Julian! Tell them to stop! We can fix this! We can transfer the shares tomorrow morning!
Julian: You are going to prison for the rest of your life, Evelyn. There are no shares left for you.
Evelyn: You idiot! You would be nothing without me! I made you CEO!
Julian: You made me a target. Take her out of here, Officer.
The officers dragged Evelyn kicking and screaming down the main aisle of the ballroom, past hundreds of shocked onlookers.
Evelyn: You'll pay for this, Julian! You'll pay for everything!
The heavy doors slammed shut behind her, leaving the ballroom in a stunned, quiet stillness.
The paramedic finished placing an IV line into Julian's arm to flush out any trace toxins.
Paramedic: Mr. Vance, your vitals are stable. Luckily, the dosage in two sips wasn't enough to trigger full paralysis before we got to you.
Julian: Thank God... thank God for Maya.
Maya sat quietly in her chair, holding an ice pack against her wrapped arm as she looked down at her stained uniform.
Julian: Maya, I don't even know how to begin thanking you for what you did tonight.
Maya: You don't have to thank me, sir. I was just doing what was right.
Julian: You risked your life and took a terrible injury to stop that monster.
Maya: My mother always taught me that keeping quiet when you see something wrong makes you just as guilty.
Julian: Your mother raised a true hero, Maya.