Chapter 18: The Courtroom
Six months later, the air in the courtroom was stiflingly formal. Victoria stood before the judge, a shadow of the glamorous heiress she had once been. Her hair was pulled back into a severe, lackluster knot, and the beige prison uniform hung loosely on her frame.
She had taken the plea deal. The evidence was too overwhelming, and her own parents had turned state's evidence against her in a desperate bid to reduce their own sentences.
Ethan sat in the front row, Clara beside him. He felt no vindication, only a cold, hollow resolution.
"Victoria Vance," the judge's voice echoed through the wood-paneled room. "For your role in the conspiracy to commit murder, and your egregious actions against a minor, I sentence you to twenty-five years in federal prison, without the possibility of parole."
Victoria didn't cry. She didn't scream. She slowly turned her head, her dark, sunken eyes locking onto Ethan and Clara. The venom was still there, burning beneath the surface, but she was entirely powerless.
May you like
Ethan didn't look away. He held her gaze, his expression completely blank, until the bailiffs took her by the arms and led her out the side door.
As the heavy wooden door clicked shut behind her, the final tie to his past was severed. Ethan stood up, offering his arm to Clara. "Let's go home."
