Chapter 7 - The Trial of the Century
The trial was a media circus. The Vanguard Blood Feud was plastered across every network. Julian was facing charges for attempted murder, breaking and entering, and a dozen financial crimes. My uncle Robert was indicted in a separate federal court for his corporate embezzlement.
I attended every single day of the trial. I sat in the front row of the gallery, positioned perfectly so Julian had to look at me every time he turned around.
The defense tried to paint a picture of a tragic family accident, of a misunderstood cousin. But Thorne, acting as a special consultant to the prosecution, dismantled them piece by piece.
First came the analog tape from the vault. The courtroom went dead silent as the grainy, black-and-white footage played on the large screens. It showed the upper terrace clearly. It showed my refusal to sign the documents. And it showed, with damning clarity, Julian rearing back and shoving me with all his strength through the failing balustrade.
Gasps echoed through the courtroom. Julian buried his face in his hands.
Then came Chloe. She took the stand, her immunity deal secure, and laid out the entire conspiracy. She detailed the embezzlement, the panic when my grandmother began the audit, and Julian's cold, calculated plan to remove me from the equation.
But the final nail in the coffin was my testimony.
I took the stand, my wheelchair elevated to the witness box. The defense attorney, a slick man in a thousand-dollar suit, tried to rattle me.
"Isn't it true, Ms. Vanguard, that you stand to gain exclusive control of a billion-dollar empire with my client out of the way? A convenient motive to embellish the events of that night?" he asked, smirking.
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I leaned into the microphone. "I didn't need to embellish anything. My grandmother left the empire to me because I was the only one in the family who wasn't stealing from it. Julian didn't push me for money; he pushed me to hide his crimes. And the only thing I stand to gain today is ensuring a violent criminal is taken off the streets."
The jury deliberated for less than three hours.
