Chapter 8 - The Golden Boy Returns
Tires screeched outside on the wet gravel driveway.
Car doors slammed shut. Seconds later, Julian Howard burst through the front entrance, windblown, his tie loose, his designer jacket crooked. He had chartered a private flight back from Chicago the second he received an emergency security alert on his phone.
"What is going on here?!" Julian yelled, looking between the armed officers, the paramedics lifting Elena onto the gurney, and Vanessa backed against the wall. "Elena! Mom! What happened?"
Vanessa saw her lifeline. She broke into an all-out run, throwing herself against Julian’s chest. "Julian! Oh, thank God you're here! They're trying to frame me! Elena set up cameras, she jumped down the stairs on purpose, and the police are arresting me!"
Julian looked at Vanessa, then looked at his mother. "Mom? Is this true?"
Evelyn stood motionless, her face pale, unable to form words.
"Julian," Elena's voice came from the gurney. It was weak, strained, but clear.
Julian pushed Vanessa aside and rushed over to the stretcher. He reached out to take Elena’s hand. "Elena... baby, are you okay? The baby... is our son okay?"
Elena opened her eyes and looked at her husband with pure, unadulterated disgust.
"Don't touch me, Julian," she whispered coldly, pulling her hand away as if his skin burned her. "You stopped caring about your son the day you let that snake into our home."
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"Elena, please, I—"
"Officer," Elena said to the paramedic. "Get me out of this house."
