Chapter 30 - The Verdict
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It took the jury less than ninety minutes to reach a decision.
When the courtroom reconvened, the silence was so heavy you could hear the soft ticking of the wall clock near the judge’s bench.
“On count one, domestic battery in the first degree, how do you find?” the judge asked.
“Guilty,” the jury foreman announced clearly.
“On count two, grand larceny...”
“Guilty.”
“On count three, witness intimidation...”
“Guilty.”
“On count four, federal racketeering and financial fraud...”
“Guilty.”
Helena let out a sharp, choked gasp, slumping forward onto the defense table, while Victor sat rigid, staring blankly ahead as if his brain refused to compute the total collapse of his reality.
The judge looked down over his glasses at Victor and Helena. “Victor Vance, you are sentenced to twenty-eight years in a federal penitentiary without the possibility of early parole. Helena Vance, for your role in evidence destruction and assault, you are sentenced to twelve years.”
As the bailiffs led them away in chains, Victor turned his head one last time to look at me. But I wasn't looking at him anymore. I was looking at my father, who had tears streaming down his face, smiling with profound relief.
Outside the courthouse, the sun was shining brightly through a clear blue sky. Samuel walked beside me down the grand stone steps, holding his leather briefcase.
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“It’s over, Emily,” Samuel said, offering a warm, genuine smile. “You won.”
I took a deep, full breath of fresh air—air that finally felt pure, clear, and entirely my own.
