Chapter 11 - The Viper's Nest
When court resumed, the tension in the room was palpable. Sarah’s public defender stood to make a final plea for leniency, citing her lack of prior criminal history and the fact that the money had ultimately been recovered.
"Your Honor, my client made a grave error in judgment," Harris argued, though his heart clearly wasn't in it. "But she is a first-time offender. We ask for a suspended sentence and probation."
The prosecutor, Castellanos, stood up immediately. "Your Honor, the State strongly objects. The money was recovered not because the defendant showed remorse, but because Evelyn Thorne is the best forensic accountant on the Eastern Seaboard. The defendant's 'error in judgment' was a meticulously planned two-year conspiracy."
Castellanos pulled up a document on the courtroom projector. It was the invoice from The Obsidian Vault.
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"On the very night she signed a divorce settlement agreeing to divide marital assets, the defendant attempted to charge $750,000 to a corporate account," Castellanos said, her voice ringing out. "She attempted to buy a $580,000 watch as a trophy. This is not the behavior of a remorseful citizen. This is the behavior of a predator who is only sorry she got caught."
Sarah closed her eyes, tears finally spilling over her cheeks. The invincible armor she had worn her entire life had been stripped away, layer by layer, until there was nothing left but the ugly, undeniable truth.
