Chapter 9 - The Trial
Six months later, the courtroom was packed. Victoria sat at the defense table, looking like a ghost of the woman who had once stood at the top of the marble staircase. Her hair had lost its shine; her eyes were hollow.
Evelyn was brought in via a wheelchair. Alexander walked beside her, his hand resting protectively on her shoulder.
When it was Evelyn’s turn to testify, the courtroom fell dead silent.
"Mrs. Reed," the prosecutor asked. "Can you tell us what happened on the afternoon of November 12th?"
Evelyn looked directly at Victoria. Victoria looked down, unable to meet the old woman's gaze.
"I went to see my son," Evelyn said, her voice clear and strong. "And that woman told me I didn't belong. When I turned to leave, she shoved me. She wanted me dead because I was the only one who saw through her mask."
The security footage was played again for the jury. It was damning, brutal, and undeniable.
The verdict took less than two hours.
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"Guilty on all counts, including attempted murder and corporate espionage."
As the bailiff placed Victoria in handcuffs to lead her away for a twenty-year sentence, she looked back at Alexander one last time, pleading silently. Alexander just turned his mother’s wheelchair around and walked out into the sunlight.
