Chapter 2 - Midnight in South Beach
The penthouse suite at the 1 Hotel South Beach was buzzing with ambient lounge music, expensive champagne, and the warm ocean breeze coming off the balcony.
Evelyn Vance sat in a plush white armchair, sipping a glass of Dom Pérignon. She was wearing a new diamond necklace purchased two days ago using David’s corporate credit card. Across the glass table, Chloe and Mark were laughing, showing off photos of their private yacht charter scheduled for the next morning.
"I'm telling you, Mom," Chloe said, tossing her hair back. "David makes so much money in Germany that he won't even notice the hundred grand. And even if he does, you just cry a little, tell him Maya was being ungrateful and hysterical, and he’ll apologize to you. He always does."
"Of course he will," Evelyn agreed smoothly, checking her manicure. "I raised him. He knows his duty is to his mother first. That girl Maya thought she could take him away from us. Now she knows her place."
Mark checked his phone, frowning slightly. "Hey, Evelyn... did you try using the black card to pay for the midnight bottle service?"
"No, I used the secondary line David opened for emergency household funds. Why?"
"Because the hotel front desk just called the room," Mark said, tapping his screen. "They said the card was declined. The bank flagged it as revoked."
Evelyn scoffed, waving her hand dismissively. "It’s just an automated security check because we’re out of state. David probably forgot to notify the bank I was traveling. I’ll call him tomorrow and lecture him about embarrassing me."
Before Mark could answer, a sharp, heavy knock echoed against the heavy wooden door of the penthouse suite.
Chloe rolled her eyes. "That must be the late-night room service. Mark, go tip them."
Mark walked over and unlatched the heavy electronic lock, pulling the door open.
Standing in the hallway were four uniformed officers from the Miami Beach Police Department, accompanied by two plainclothes detectives from the Miami-Dade Robbery and Violent Crimes Unit.
"Evelyn Vance, Chloe Vance, and Mark Miller?" the lead detective asked, holding up a thick manila folder and an official arrest warrant.
Evelyn stood up from her armchair, her face twisting into immediate outrage. "What is the meaning of this intrusion?! Do you have any idea how much this suite costs? Get out of my room before I have my son fire every single one of you!"
The lead detective didn't blink. He stepped into the room, followed by the four officers. "Evelyn Vance, you are under arrest pursuant to an emergency warrant issued by the State of New York, coordinated with the Florida State Attorney’s Office. The charges include Grand Larceny in the First Degree, Criminal Possession of Stolen Property, Felony Child Endangerment, and Deprivation of Medical Care to a Vulnerable Adult."
Chloe gasped, dropping her champagne glass onto the thick rug, where it shattered into dozens of sharp pieces. "What?! This is a mistake! My brother is a high-level executive! He’s in Germany!"
"Your brother is currently at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York beside his wife and child," the detective replied coldly, pulling steel handcuffs from his belt. "He personally provided the New York Police Department with two hours of cloud security footage showing you looting his apartment, stealing medical supplies, and locking a woman recovering from an emergency C-section inside an unheated apartment."
Evelyn’s face drained of every ounce of color. The arrogant composure she had worn like armor for decades vanished in a fraction of a second. "David... David gave you videos?"
"Hands behind your back, ma'am," the officer commanded, stepping behind Evelyn and forcing her arms behind her.
"Don't touch me! You can't do this!" Evelyn shrieked, kicking wildly as the steel cuffs snapped shut around her wrists. "This is a family matter! David! Call David right now! He didn't mean to do this! David!"
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"Save it for the judge," the detective said.
Within ten minutes, Evelyn, Chloe, and Mark were being marched down the marble lobby of the five-star luxury resort in handcuffs. Dozens of wealthy holiday guests stood by the bar, holding their drinks, whispering and taking videos on their phones as the three of them were loaded into the back of separate police cruisers under the bright neon lights of South Beach.
