Chapter 20 - The Falling Shadow
"Veronica!" Nathan shouted over the deafening noise of the helicopter engine.
Veronica looked down, her long hair whipping wildly in the strong wind.
She smiled down at him mockingly as the helicopter began to ascend higher.
"Goodbye, Nathan!" she yelled over the wind.
"Thanks for making me rich!"
She reached the top of the rope ladder and grabbed the helicopter door frame.
Suddenly, the helicopter jolted violently in a sudden gust of heavy wind.
The charter pilot panicked, swerving the aircraft sharply to the left to avoid a crane.
The violent shift threw Veronica off balance completely.
Her hands slipped off the rain-slicked metal door frame.
She shrieked in absolute terror as she lost her grip entirely.
She fell through the night air, crashing heavily onto the flat concrete roof pad below.
The helicopter panicked and sped off into the dark night sky, abandoning her.
Nathan sprinted across the wet roof toward her fallen body.
Veronica lay on her back, coughing weakly, her legs visibly broken.
She looked up at Nathan, her arrogant smile completely replaced by pure terror.
"Nathan... please... help me..." she begged, her voice barely a whisper.
Nathan stood over her, looking down with cold, unyielding eyes.
"The ambulance is downstairs," Nathan said quietly.
"Just like the police."
Sirens wailed in the streets all around the medical center below.
Red and blue lights reflected off the wet roof surface like glowing embers.
Three weeks later, Nathan stood in front of his newly purchased estate.
Margaret stood beside him, fully recovered and holding a warm mug of tea.
Little Leo played happily on the green front lawn with their dog.
The twin sisters were facing lifetime prison sentences for attempted murder, arson, and extortion.
Nathan pulled out his phone and watched the old video clip one last time.
The clip of Leo popping the fake belly with a tiny needle.
May you like
He smiled softly, deleted the file forever, and put the phone back in his pocket.
The nightmare was finally over.
