The Billionaire Came Home Early and Found His Fiancée Holding a Maid’s Toddler’s Cut Hair

Adrien’s blood ran cold. He turned his back to Rosa, trying to keep his voice controlled so as not to panic her.

“Where and when?” Adrien demanded into the phone.

“They’re planning to strike tomorrow afternoon during Mia’s speech therapy appointment at the pediatric clinic downtown,” Vance reported. “They know the clinic has a public parking garage with blind spots in the security coverage.”

“Cancel the appointment,” Adrien commanded.

“Wait, sir,” Vance replied. “If we cancel, Vanessa will just go into hiding and try again later when we aren't expecting it. This is our chance to catch her red-handed and put her away for good. We can set a trap.”

Adrien hesitated. The thought of using Mia as bait, even in a controlled environment, made his stomach churn. “No. I will not put Mia in danger.”

“We won’t use Mia, sir,” Vance explained smoothly. “We will swap Mia and Rosa out with decoy officers in tinted-window vehicles. We let Vanessa’s hired men attempt the snatch, catch them on video, and arrest them on the spot. We’ll have a SWAT team standing by. Once the mercenaries are down, we arrest Vanessa for conspiracy to commit kidnapping. She’ll go to federal prison for twenty years.”

Adrien closed his eyes, calculating the risks. It was the only way to permanently eliminate the threat Vanessa posed to his family.

“Do it,” Adrien said. “But if a single detail goes wrong, Vance, I’ll hold you personally responsible.”

The next morning, Adrien explained the plan to Rosa in his study. Rosa’s face turned pale, her hands trembling as she held her coffee cup.

“Are you sure Mia will be safe?” Rosa begged, her voice laced with maternal terror.

“I give you my life as a guarantee,” Adrien promised, grasping her hands firmly in his. “You and Mia will remain inside the estate, protected by ten heavily armed guards. Decoys will drive the motorcade downtown. Vanessa thinks she’s hunting us, but she’s walking straight into a cage.”

By 1:30 PM, the trap was set.

At the pediatric clinic’s underground parking garage downtown, a black SUV pulled into a reserved spot. Two female undercover officers, dressed identically to Rosa and carrying a child-sized mannequin wrapped in a blanket, stepped out of the vehicle and walked toward the elevator.

Suddenly, a silver van sped around the corner, screeching to a halt. Three masked men armed with stunned weapons leaped out, lunging toward the decoy officers!

“Drop them!” Vance’s voice bellowed through heavy megaphones.

Instantly, dark figures materialized from hidden spots across the garage. Over a dozen heavily armed SWAT officers surrounded the van, red laser sights painting the mercenaries’ chests.

“Hands in the air! Do it now!”

The mercenaries, completely overwhelmed, dropped their weapons and threw their hands up, kneeling on the concrete floor.

Two miles away, sitting in a parked sports car with binoculars, Vanessa watched the garage entrance through a radio scanner. When she heard the police communications crackle with the word “AMBUSH,” her eyes widened in utter panic.

“No! No, no, no!” she shrieked, slapping the steering wheel.

She slammed her foot on the accelerator, tearing away from the scene. She realized Adrien had set her up. The police were coming for her. She needed money, her passport, and a way out of the country immediately.

Driven by pure, unhinged insanity, Vanessa didn’t drive to the airport. She drove straight toward the Hastings estate.

She knew Adrien would be at his corporate office downtown monitoring the arrest. She knew the estate’s main security force had been partially deployed to the clinic to secure the perimeter.