I pointed to the broken shopping bag in Emily’s hand. “The boutique tag had a tracker in it. Emily’s phone recorded everything after she called me crying.”
Daniel’s mask cracked.
“You set me up,” he hissed.
“No,” Emily said suddenly.
Everyone turned.
She sat up, shaking but awake, rain still dripping from her hair.
“You did this,” she said. “You made me kneel outside because I bought a dress. You laughed while I cried. You told your family I needed to be trained.”
Daniel’s face twisted. “Emily, be careful.”
She looked at me, then back at him.
“No,” she said. “I’m done being careful with monsters.”
And that was the moment the Prices realized my daughter was no longer alone.
Part 3
The room went silent except for the rain beating against the windows.
Detective Harris walked toward Daniel. “Daniel Price, you need to come with me.”
Daniel stepped back. “On what charge?”
“Coercive control, assault, unlawful confinement, and financial exploitation are a strong start,” Naomi said. “The rest will depend on how much your family wants to confess tonight.”
Vivian shouted, “This is ridiculous! She is our daughter-in-law!”
“She is not your property,” I said.
Robert pulled out his phone. “I’m calling our lawyer.”
Naomi nodded. “Good. Tell him we already filed an emergency protection order, froze the joint accounts tied to Emily’s trust, and sent the financial evidence to the attorney general’s office.”
Robert stopped moving.
For the first time, fear entered his eyes.
Daniel lunged toward Emily. “You ungrateful little—”
I stepped in front of him.
He froze.
I did not raise my voice. “Take one more step toward my daughter, and you will lose more than your name.”
