My Billionaire Husband Beat Me With A Belt And Kicked Me Out Penniless For His Mistress, Unaware I Am The Secret Tycoon Who Owns His Entire Empire!

Six uniformed officers from the New York Police Department, led by Detective Raymond Vance of the Major Case Squad, marched in cadence across the marble floor of the grand hall.

The guests instinctively parted to let the law enforcement detail through.

Detective Vance walked straight up to Adrian Cole, pulling a pair of heavy steel handcuffs and an arrest warrant from his jacket.

“Adrian Cole?” Detective Vance asked in a voice of gravel and steel.

Adrian swallowed hard, trembling from head to toe. “Detective, this is an elite private gala! Whatever business you have with me can wait until Monday morning at my lawyer’s office!”

“It doesn’t work that way, Mr. Cole,” Detective Vance stated flatly. “You are under arrest for first-degree felony domestic violence, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, and felony witness tampering.”

Before Adrian could take a step back, two officers seized his arms, forced him forward over a cocktail table, and snapped the steel handcuffs tightly around his wrists.

“You can’t do this to me!” Adrian yelled, struggling against the officers’ grip as high-society photographers snapped dozens of blinding photos. “Do you know who I am? I am the CEO of Cole Meridian Industries! I employ thousands of people!”

“And right now, you’re an inmate heading to the Central Booking facility on White Street,” Detective Vance replied calmly.

Detective Vance then turned his gaze upon Vanessa Vale, who was desperately trying to crawl behind a floral display to slip out through the service exit.

“Vanessa Vale?” the detective called out.

Vanessa froze, tears of mascara streaming down her cheeks. “I didn’t do anything! I’m the victim here!”

“Vanessa Vale, you are under arrest for filing a false police report, conspiracy to commit extortion, and corporate wire fraud,” Detective Vance said, nodding to the remaining two female officers.

The officers grabbed Vanessa by her manicured wrists, twisting her arms behind her emerald backless gown and slapping the cuffs on her.

“Adrian! Help me!” Vanessa screamed, thrashing wildly. “Adrian, tell them!”

Adrian didn’t even look at her. He was staring at me, his eyes filled with a desperate, pathetic plea for mercy.

“Eleanor... please!” Adrian begged, his voice cracking into sobs as the officers hauled him toward the exit. “I was manipulated! Vanessa poisoned my mind! You know I loved you! Please, drop the charges! Think of our eight years together!”

I stood tall under the crystal chandeliers, my chin raised, watching him with an expression of total, unbreakable indifference.

“I did think of our eight years, Adrian,” I said softly, loud enough for every billionaire and journalist in the room to hear. “And every single minute of it was a waste of my time.”

The press went into a feeding frenzy. Camera flashes illuminated the hall like lightning as Adrian Cole and Vanessa Vale were dragged out in handcuffs, their screams of protest echoing down Fifth Avenue into the awaiting police cruisers.

Julian stepped up beside me, handing me a fresh flute of sparkling water.