The Billionaire’s Bride Pushed His Mother Off the Rooftop—Then the Maid Did the Unthinkable

The silence that fell over the private gallery was suffocating. Outside, the orchestra played a cheerful waltz, but inside the soundproofed study, the air had turned to ice.

"Empty?" Nathaniel demanded, his knuckles white as he gripped the edge of the mahogany desk. "She was under 24-hour maximum surveillance awaiting trial! How does a convicted attempted murderer walk out of federal custody?"

"She didn't walk out alone," Marcus answered, swiping across the tablet to reveal grainy security footage. "At 8:14 PM, the compound's backup generators engaged. The surveillance loops were manipulated. A prison van departed through the south gate carrying delivery crates. Two guards were found unconscious in the maintenance wing, drugged with industrial paralytics."

Eleanor Vance entered the room, leaning on a polished ebony cane. Though her recovery had been miraculous, the color drained from her cheeks at the news. "Arthur Thorne," Eleanor said, her voice trembling slightly before hardening into steel. "Victoria's father would never allow the family name to rot in a federal penitentiary. He warned me years ago that he would burn the city down before he suffered public ruin."

Rose immediately moved to Eleanor's side, wrapping a protective arm around the elder woman. She felt Eleanor's heart fluttering like a frightened bird. "We survived her once," Rose said firmly. "We will survive her again. Marcus, where is Leo?"

"Your brother is at the academy under four armed operatives," Marcus reassured her. "No one enters or leaves without my clearance."

Nathaniel turned to his security chief, his presence exuding the terrifying ruthlessness that had built Vance Global into an apex corporation. "Double the detail on Rose and my mother. I want private drones sweeping the estate perimeter every three minutes. Put a five-million-dollar bounty on any tip leading to Victoria or Arthur Thorne. If the law couldn't keep her behind bars, I will ensure she never breathes free air again."

"Understood, sir," Marcus nodded and hurried out.

Nathaniel walked toward Rose, kneeling in front of where she sat with his mother. He took Rose’s hands into his, pressing his lips against her knuckles. "I promised you peace when we stood at that altar. I won't let them take that away from you."

Rose looked into the fierce, tortured devotion in his hazel eyes. She smiled, brushing back a stray lock of dark hair from his forehead. "You gave me a life, Nathaniel. You gave Leo a future. You don't have to protect me from everything; let me stand with you."