Chapter 5
CHAPTER 5 — The Fall of Gero Müller
The lunch was exquisite.
Gero wiped his mouth with a linen napkin and signaled for the check.
The waiter approached silently, carrying the leather billfold.
Gero didn't even look at the total.
He pulled out his heavy, metal black card and dropped it on the table.
“Take care of it,” he said smoothly.
The waiter nodded and walked away.
Amelie smiled at him, twisting a lock of blonde hair around her finger.
“You spoil me, Gero.”
“You deserve it,” he lied easily.
Five minutes passed.
The waiter returned.
He looked nervous.
He cleared his throat.
“I apologize, Herr Müller. Your card was declined.”
Gero frowned.
The illusion of perfection slipping for a microsecond.
“Run it again. Your machine is broken.”
“I ran it three times, sir. The terminal says 'Account Frozen'.”
Gero felt a flash of hot anger.
He hated being embarrassed.
He reached into his wallet and pulled out a different platinum card.
“Use this one. And hurry up.”
The waiter practically ran to the register.
Gero pulled out his phone to call his bank and scream at his wealth manager.
He looked at the screen.
No Service.
He tapped the screen. He restarted the phone.
Nothing.
A cold, creeping sensation started at the base of his neck.
The waiter returned, looking completely panicked now.
“Sir... this card is also declined. And the machine instructed me to confiscate it.”
Gero stood up.
His chair scraped loudly against the marble floor.
Conversations at nearby tables stopped.
Wealthy guests turned to look at the disturbance.
“Do you know who I am?” Gero hissed, his voice trembling with rage.
“I will buy this hotel and fire you before dinner!”
“You don't need to buy the hotel, Herr Müller.”
The voice was loud.
Clear.
Authoritative.
Gero spun around.
Kommissarin Brenner was standing in the entrance of the restaurant.
She was flanked by four heavily armed Bavarian tactical officers.
The entire dining room froze.
Amelie gasped, covering her mouth.
Gero’s face drained of all color.
“What is the meaning of this?” he demanded, trying to project power.
But his voice cracked.
Brenner walked slowly toward the table.
She didn't look impressed by his tailored suit or his expensive watch.
She looked at him like he was a stain on the floor.
“Gero Müller,” Brenner said loudly.
“You are under arrest.”
Gero took a step back, hitting the edge of the table.
The wine glasses rattled.
“Arrest? For what? This is a misunderstanding! I am a respected executive!”
Brenner pulled out a piece of paper.
She didn't whisper.
She made sure every elite guest in the room heard her.
“You are charged with severe domestic abuse.”
“Aggravated assault.”
“Attempted murder of an unborn child.”
The room erupted in shocked gasps.
Amelie stared at Gero, her eyes wide with horror.
“Gero... what did you do?” she whispered, backing away from him.
“She’s lying!” Gero screamed, losing all his polished charm.
“My wife is crazy! She makes things up!”
Brenner smiled coldly.
“Your wife didn't make up the nanny-cam footage.”
“We have fifty belt marks on high-definition video.”
Gero stopped breathing.
The cameras.
He had hidden them to watch her.
He had forgotten to turn them off.
His knees buckled slightly.
“Oh, and one more thing,” Brenner added, her voice echoing in the silent room.
“You are also charged with embezzling three point two million euros from your firm.”
“Your accounts are frozen. Your company has terminated you.”
“You have nothing.”
Two tactical officers stepped forward.
They grabbed Gero by his expensive sleeves.
They forced his arms behind his back.
The metallic snap of the handcuffs sounded incredibly loud.
Gero began to thrash.
The charming executive was gone.
Replaced by a pathetic, desperate animal caught in a trap.
“Do you know my lawyers?!” he shrieked as they dragged him toward the door.
“I will sue all of you! I will ruin you!”
Brenner didn't even blink.
As they dragged him through the hotel lobby, a man was standing near the glass doors.
He wasn't wearing a police uniform.
He was wearing a heavy winter coat.
His arms were crossed.
Thomas Brand.
Gero’s wild, panicked eyes locked onto his father-in-law.
Thomas didn't say a word.
He didn't have to.
His silent, unblinking stare delivered the message perfectly.
I told you I would find out.
Gero Müller was shoved into the back of a police cruiser.
The doors slammed shut.
Thomas watched the car drive away, disappearing down the mountain road.
May you like
The cage was finally locked.
And the monster was inside it.
