Chapter 6 - The Trap Snaps
"You paid for a phantom, Ambrose," Matthew said, his voice carrying clearly across the silent ballroom. He didn't raise his voice, yet the sheer authority in it made the older man’s bodyguards step back instinctively. "Elena Vargas is not property to be bought, sold, or traded. And more importantly, she is a Carranza now. Your transaction was with a bankrupt criminal named Isabel Vargas, who currently has an active warrant out for her arrest."
Right on cue, the heavy double doors of the ballroom burst open. A squad of federal agents entered, led by Leo. They marched straight past the elite crowd and surrounded Mr. Ambrose.
"Arthur Ambrose," the lead agent announced, "you are under arrest for racketeering, financial fraud, and conspiracy to commit human trafficking."
Ambrose went pale, looking around the room for support, but the very people who had smiled at him minutes before now looked away in disgust. As the handcuffs clicked around his wrists, he looked at Matthew with pure hatred. "This isn't over! Isabel won't let this go! She has the journals! Your father’s secrets are in them!"
Matthew’s jaw clenched, a dangerous glint appearing in his eyes. "Let her try to publish them from a prison cell."
As Ambrose was dragged out, the tension in the room broke, replaced by hesitant applause from the guests. Matthew turned to Elena, his face softening slightly as he saw how pale she was. "Are you alright?"
"What journals was he talking about?" Elena asked, her voice trembling. "What secrets?"
Matthew didn't answer immediately. He took her hand and led her away from the crowded ballroom toward a private balcony overlooking the city gardens. The cool night air felt refreshing against her flushed skin.
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"My father wasn't a saint, Elena," Matthew said quietly, looking out at the city lights. "Before I took over the Carranza empire, it was a much darker operation. Your father discovered some of those operations and threatened to expose them. My father silenced him. Not permanently, but he ruined his health, which led to his early death. Isabel found the records of that feud. She has been using them to blackmail my family for years."
Elena gasped, taking a step back. "So... you only saved me to protect your family's dirty laundry?"
