Chapter 17 - The Jury Speaks
Closing arguments were swift. The defense attorneys offered half-hearted pleas for leniency, knowing they had absolutely nothing to stand on. The prosecutor reminded the jury that the Sterling family was a criminal enterprise disguised as high society, and that their cruelty had nearly cost me my life.
The jury deliberated for less than two hours. It was one of the fastest verdicts in the courthouse's history.
When the jury filed back in, the tension in the room was electric. I sat beside Mr. Vance, my hands folded calmly in my lap. I was not afraid. The truth had already done its work.
Julian and Beatrice stood up, flanked by heavy security. They refused to look at each other, their alliance completely shattered by mutual betrayal.
The foreperson, a middle-aged woman with a stern face, stood and read the verdict.
“On the charges of aggravated assault and attempted murder in the first degree, we find the defendant Beatrice Sterling… Guilty.” “On the charges of extortion, conspiracy, wire fraud, and bribery of a federal official, we find the defendant Julian Sterling… Guilty.”
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There was no dramatic outburst. Just the heavy, crushing reality of absolute ruin settling over the defense table. Beatrice slumped backward into her chair, her eyes wide with shock. Julian bowed his head, his shoulders shaking as silent tears of self-pity fell to the floor.
They thought pain would make me weak. But the pain they inflicted had only forged me into the weapon that ultimately destroyed them.
