The deputies stepped forward, pulling pair of heavy steel handcuffs from their belts. David tried to pull away, but one deputy caught his arm firmly, pinning him against the side of the marble altar step. The sharp click of the locks binding his wrists echoed clearly through the silent room. The guests watched in total shock as the groom was taken into custody right in front of the altar he had set up for his own financial gain.
Jessica sank down onto the front pew, her expensive white lace wedding dress pooling around her feet in complete disarray. The two older aunts who had held Sarah down earlier tried to quietly slide out through the back, but Robert Vance called them out directly in front of everyone present.
Robert: You two will also be questioned regarding your assistance in the illegal eviction from this property.
Sarah walked slowly up to her sister. Despite everything that had happened, despite the torn dress and the cruel words thrown at her less than an hour ago, her voice remained steady, firm, and entirely grounded in truth. She looked down at Jessica, who was now weeping tears of real regret and embarrassment.
Sarah: I came here today to give you a chance to fix this privately. But you chose to destroy me instead.
Jessica: I didn't know... I didn't know he took the trust money...
Sarah: You didn't care to look because you only cared about the image.
The deputies escorted David out through the main hall, leading him down the front steps toward the waiting police cruisers parked in the driveway. The guests slowly began to gather their belongings and leave the estate, talking in low, shocked tones about the rapid downfall of the wedding. Within an hour, the grand mansion was completely quiet once again.
Sarah stood in the center of the living room, looking out the grand windows at the green lawn outside. She placed her hands gently over her bump, feeling the calm stirrings of her baby. The air in the house felt clean and fresh for the first time in months. The police had locked down all corporate accounts, securing her father's funds and protecting her child's future. Justice had taken its time, but it had finally restored what was rightfully hers.