Chapter 5 - The Legal Warfare
By Thursday afternoon, the Dirksen Federal Building in downtown Chicago was surrounded by news crews and federal marshals.
Inside courtroom 402, Evelyn sat on the prosecution's side, wearing a sharp navy suit provided by Adrian’s team. Beside her sat Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Jenkins, reviewing the digital evidence Evelyn had recovered from Lakeside Freight.
Across the aisle sat Dominic Moretti, a powerful, sixty-year-old crime boss whose legitimate corporate holdings spanned three states. Beside him sat a team of four high-priced defense lawyers.
Moretti glared at Evelyn with cold, murderous disdain, but every time his eyes strayed toward her, Adrian Vale—sitting directly behind her in the gallery—returned the look with an icy, lethal intensity that made the older boss clench his jaw.
Grant Mercer took the witness stand in an orange prison jumpsuit, his voice trembling as he detailed the entire extortion scheme, the forged manifests, and the orders he had received directly from Moretti.
"And who ordered you to cancel Miss Hart’s medical coverage for her sister?" the prosecutor asked.
Grant looked down at his cuffed hands, his voice barely audible. "I did... to force her into compliance. But Moretti told me to make sure she took the fall if the Feds ever investigated the shipments."
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The jury listened in stunned silence.
When the prosecution presented the encrypted ledgers unlocked by Evelyn’s digital keys, Moretti’s head defense counsel sat down, realizing their case was utterly hopeless.
