Before Richard could even open his mouth to offer an excuse, a small red laser sight suddenly appeared directly over the center of his tuxedo chest, shining brightly against the dark fabric. Outside the massive glass windows of the ballroom, tactical units were moving into position. The electronic beep of tactical gear echoed through the entrance hall as heavily armed federal officers swarmed the ballroom doors, cutting off every exit route in a matter of seconds. Richard immediately raised both of his hands into the air, trembling as the cold reality of his situation crashed down around him.
"Wait... this is a trap!" Richard stammered frantically, stepping backward as two tactical agents tackled him to the floor, pinning his arms behind his back and clicking heavy steel handcuffs around his wrists. The guests gasped once more, this time in satisfaction as the abusive billionaire was dragged down into the mess he had created. His empire, his reputation, and his freedom were destroyed in an instant, all because he chose to lay a hand on the wrong mother and child.
Lily didn't waste another second looking at the disgraced mogul as he was hauled out of the hotel in front of the flashing cameras of the arriving press. She knelt back down, lifting Chloe into her arms and holding her close against her shoulder. She picked up the evidence from the marble floor, handed it to her second-in-command, and walked out of the grand ballroom under the protective escort of her team, leaving the shocked elites to process the dramatic downfall of the city's most powerful criminal.