Chapter 34 - The Courtroom
Tuesday morning arrived with the crisp, electric tension of a battlefield.
I sat in the gallery of the family court, directly behind Elena and her legal counsel. Across the aisle sat her husband, David, wearing a smug, expensive tailored suit. He looked incredibly relaxed, confident that his digital shell game was entirely foolproof. He believed he was going to walk out of this courtroom leaving his wife destitute.
The judge, a stern woman with zero tolerance for perjury, adjusted her glasses. "Counsel, we are here to review the final asset division. Mr. Davis claims complete insolvency."
Elena’s lawyer stood up, holding the thick dossier my team had compiled. "Your Honor, we reject the claim of insolvency. In fact, we have submitted Exhibit C—a fully decrypted ledger from an offshore cryptocurrency exchange, directly tied to the respondent's personal IP address, detailing the concealment of four point two million dollars."
David’s smug expression vanished instantly. The color completely drained from his face as he stared at the folder in the lawyer's hands. He snapped his head around, looking furiously at Elena, and then his eyes landed on me sitting right behind her.
I didn't look away. I stared back at him with absolute, icy detachment.
"This is fabricated!" David’s lawyer scrambled, completely blindsided by the evidence.
"It is forensically verified, Your Honor," Elena's lawyer countered smoothly. "Furthermore, the act of concealing these assets under oath constitutes perjury. We are filing an immediate motion for sole custody and one hundred percent of the marital estate."
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The judge looked at the ledger, then glared down at David. "Motion granted. And Mr. Davis, I highly suggest you retain criminal counsel before you leave this building."
Elena turned to me, tears of profound relief streaming down her face. We had won. The fortress held.
