Chapter 19 - The Verdict and the Fall
The jury deliberated for less than two hours before returning to the courtroom at four o’clock on a Friday afternoon.
The courtroom was so quiet that the ticking of the brass wall clock sounded like hammer blows against the silence.
"Will the defendant please rise?" Judge Vance instructed, her eyes fixed on Julian.
Julian stood up, his posture stiff, his knuckles white where he gripped the edge of the defense table.
"On the first count of aggravated domestic battery with a weapon, how do you find?" the clerk read aloud.
"Guilty," the jury foreman replied clearly.
"On the second count of felony endangerment of a pregnant dependent, how do you find?"
"Guilty."
"On the third count of financial wire fraud and unlawful asset seizure, how do you find?"
"Guilty on all counts."
A collective breath escaped the gallery, followed by the quiet sound of Sophie sobbing into Viktor’s shoulder.
Judge Vance didn't wait for a sentencing hearing; she looked down at Julian with cold judicial finality.
"Julian Hartmann, you have used your wealth and standing to terrorize those who were legally dependent on your care," the judge said.
"I sentence you to twenty-five years in the state correctional facility, without the possibility of parole for fifteen years."
The bailiffs stepped forward, locking heavy steel chains around Julian’s waist and wrists—not the polite cuffs of his arrest, but maximum-security restraints.
As he was led toward the side door, he looked at Clara one last time, his face pale and stripped of all pride.
May you like
Clara didn't offer him a word, a curse, or even a smile of triumph.
She simply turned her back on him and walked out into the sunlight with her son.
