Chapter 9 - The Trial of the Decade
The federal trial was a media circus that captivated the entire nation.
I sat in the front row, wearing a flawless tailored suit, watching the empire burn.
The prosecution played the nanny cam footage of Julian assaulting me.
Then, they played the dock footage of Eleanor murdering Victoria.
The courtroom gasped in collective horror.
The defense lawyers tried to claim the videos were doctored, but it was useless.
Julian, desperate to save himself, took the stand and testified against his own mother and brother.
He detailed exactly how they laundered money and how they silenced anyone who got in their way.
He sobbed on the stand, begging for mercy.
Eleanor glared at him with pure, murderous hatred.
The jury deliberated for less than four hours.
The verdict was read to a dead-silent room.
Guilty on all charges.
Eleanor received life in federal prison without the possibility of parole.
Marcus received forty years as an accomplice to murder.
Even with his plea deal, Julian was sentenced to fifteen years for aggravated assault, conspiracy, and fraud.
As the bailiffs led Julian away in his orange jumpsuit, he looked at me one last time.
His eyes were filled with regret and terror.
May you like
I didn't blink.
I simply smiled, gave him a small wave, and turned my back on him forever.
