Chapter 8 - The Trial of the Vances
The legal battle that followed was swift and merciless. Because of the overwhelming nature of the digital evidence and the federal bank records Marcus had secured, the trial of Vanessa and Lucas Vance lasted less than a week.
I sat in the front row of the gallery every day, wearing the same dark suit I had worn to my mother’s funeral.
Vanessa no longer looked like the glamorous, aristocratic beauty who had captured my heart three years ago. Her hair was unwashed, pulled back into a ragged ponytail, and her prison-issued grey jumpsuit hung loosely on her thin frame. She refused to look at me, keeping her eyes fixed on the defense table.
Lucas tried to cut a deal, offering to testify against his sister in exchange for a reduced sentence. But the prosecution didn't need his testimony. The recording from my mother’s fist spoke for itself.
On the final day of the trial, the judge—a fierce, no-nonsense woman who had known my mother socially—called Vanessa to stand for sentencing.
"Vanessa Vance-Hartwell," the judge said, her voice echoing through the packed courtroom. "You entered a house of trust, a house built on generations of hard work, and you brought with you a malice that is truly sickening. You systematically poisoned an elderly woman who had done nothing but welcome you into her family. Your greed has destroyed your family, your reputation, and your freedom."
The judge slammed her gavel down. "For the charge of conspiracy to commit murder and corporate fraud, I sentence you to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. Lucas Vance, for your complicity and execution of these crimes, you are sentenced to thirty years in a maximum-security facility."
As the bailiffs stepped forward to lead them away, Vanessa suddenly snapped. She turned toward the gallery, her eyes locked onto mine, screaming hysterically.
"Daniel! You did this to me! You trapped me! You're a monster, Daniel! A monster!"
I didn't blink. I didn't move a single muscle in my face. I simply watched as the heavy iron doors of the courtroom closed behind her, locking her away from the world forever.
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Marcus walked over, handing me a clean, unsealed document. "It's over, Daniel. The divorce is finalized by judicial decree. The Vance name has been legally scrubbed from every asset you own."
"Thank you, Marcus," I said, taking the document. "Let's go home."
