Chapter 79

Bianca POV

The air in the office was still.

The silence felt different than it did a few hours earlier.

This was the kind of silence that came after chaos.

Esther turned from the computer, her eyes glassy but steady.

Then after viewing the video for herself, she unplugged the flash drive from the laptop.

She didn’t need to say anything. I already knew.

Everything was there, from Nathan’s confession, Esther’s questions, every single detail needed.

I rose from my chair, walking toward her slowly.

“It’s all in there,” I said quietly. My voice was calm.

“Take it up to the news outlets. Send it to every major network. Once it goes live, Nathan Hayes is done.”

Esther nodded once, her throat tightening as she pocketed the drive.

“And you?” she asked softly.

I smiled faintly, though it was a plastic one and even Esther spotted.

“Me?” I exhaled. “Well, after this, then I'm finally off the hook.”

Before she could answer, a sudden scream of sirens split through the air echoing through the walls of Calloway Banks. My blood ran cold.

I didn’t even have to look to know what it was.

The cops. They were back.

Esther turned toward the window, her eyes wide.

“They're back for you,” she whispered.

I swallowed hard and gave her a small nod. “Looks like I’m gonna have to watch it from jail,” I said.

She looked like she wanted to argue, to fight for me… but there was no time for that.

I watched as a couple of cars parked outside the building, their red and blue lights bouncing off the walls.

Soon, their footsteps followed, thundering down the hallway.

I held her hand tightly, forcing a smile.

“I trust you,” I said.

“Bianca—”

“Go,” I whispered. “Do it for me and for the truth.”

Then I walked away.

Two officers appeared at the glass doors, ready to pull me away.

My wrists tightened as the cuffs snapped shut.

I felt the cold steel bit into my skin. I didn’t resist, it was fatal at this point.

All I could now was wait..

They led me out of the building.

I kept my chin high, shoulders squared, my face unreadable.

We entered the car, the door slamming shut.

I leaned my head against the window, staring out at the city lights as we drove past them.

Even when I was being arrested, the memory of what I saw, of him, wouldn't stop replaying in my head.

A few hours back, in the control room, I had sat there watching Nathan through the live feed.

I watched him boast about poisoning my father like it was just another means to an end.

He killed my father. He fucking killed him and he moved on taking advantage of me without even an inch of guilt…

I remembered at that moment gripping the edge of the table so hard my fingers went numb.

I had to hold myself from marching there and bursting that door open and make him beg for every ounce of pain I’d lived through.

But that would’ve been too easy.

No. I wanted him to lose everything, just like I did.

His company. His power. His reputation.

His freedom.

After a few minutes, the car arrived at the station.

The officers there at the front desk barely looked at me as they processed my arrest, from the fingerprint scanner beeping and then writing my name and my signature on a paper.

After all that, I was led through the station to an inner cell.

It had just a single bench and one flickering bulb overhead.

I sat down, back against the cold brick, still feeling the ache of the cuffs around my wrists.

I never thought in my life that I would ever find myself here in a cell, trapped behind bars.

If all goes well, I wasn't getting deployed to prison, but still the feeling of being trapped like this felt strange, but we were past normal a long time ago when I went back in time.

But all will be normal soo.

Once Nathan’s gone, Elena will be next.

Then after all this, I’d disappear… leave the city, the scandals and all this chaos behind.

I'll start over somewhere quiet and peaceful.

That's what my father would’ve wanted me to.

My eyes began to flutter, the exhaustion of the day getting to me.

And then finally, I let it close, the darkness enveloping.

The sound of voices stirred me awake. Two officers were standing near the entrance, their attention fixed on the TV mounted on the wall.

“Hey, turn that up,” one said.

I lifted my head.

The news anchor’s voice filled the room.

“Breaking News…

CEO Nathan Hayes has been convicted for the murder of Harold Calloway and the attempted murder of his daughter, Bianca Calloway.

The footage was obtained exclusively by the Calloway Bank’s surveillance system.”

I stood up slowly, moving closer to the bars.

The screen showed a video of Nathan being dragged out of his mansion, reporters swarming like vultures.

His face twisted in fury as he shouted in protests.

The world had finally seen what he truly was. A monster who ruined my life.

A dark smirk curled my lips. “You finally got what you deserved.”

A few hours after the emergence of the news, I heard footsteps approaching shattering the silence.

An officer approached my cell, jangling the keys in his hand.

“You’re free to go, Ms. Calloway.”He unlocked the cell. “All your charges have been dropped.”

I turned, watching as he opened the door of my cell.

I stepped out, a proud smile tugging my lips.

The other officers glanced at me when I stepped out, some of them were apologetic, but I didn’t care.

I just wanted out.

I hadn’t taken two steps out of the station before my phone buzzed.

Esther.

I answered immediately. “You did it.”

Her voice came through.

“We did it, Bianca. Nathan’s done. It’s all over the news… every outlet’s picking it up. He’s finished.”

I exhaled, staring up at the gray sky. “Good. Then it’s finally over.

We could finally take a beat.”

There was a pause, the silence stretching.

Then Esther’s tone shifted.

“No, Bianca… there's no beat.”

I frowned. “What do you mean?”

Then she took a breath.

“We know who Elena’s partner is. And you won’t believe it…”