Victoria froze mid-sob, her eyes darting toward the garden bushes as the electronic hum of the security camera echoed across the marble patio[cite: 5].
Victoria: That... that's just an old dummy camera. It doesn't even work[cite: 5].
Clara: Oh, it works all right[cite: 5]. Mr. Sterling had it installed last month after the missing jewelry incident, didn't he[cite: 5]?
Arthur: I... I wired that unit directly to the master server myself[cite: 5]. Every single second of this courtyard is captured in high definition[cite: 5].
Victoria's carefully constructed composure shattered instantly, color draining completely from her face as she took a panicked step backward toward the exit gates[cite: 5].
Victoria: Arthur, wait, you don't understand how this looks—the pressure of the wedding, the stress of the estate—!
Arthur: Shut up, Victoria[cite: 5]. Don't say another word[cite: 5].
The billionaire father stood up slowly from the pool edge, his broad shoulders shaking with a mixture of profound betrayal and blinding fury as he stared at the woman he trusted[cite: 5].
Arthur: Clara... help my son inside[cite: 5]. I'm going to the security office to pull every frame of that footage, and then I'm calling my divorce lawyer and the district attorney[cite: 5].
Clara: Right away, Mr. Sterling[cite: 5]. Let's get you dried off, Julian—your nightmare with her is finally over[cite: 5].
As Victoria spun around to flee toward the driveway, two estate guards stepped out from the archway, blocking her path as the red recording light continued to blink in silence above them[cite: 5].