Chapter 9 - The Trial of Secrets
Six months later.
The high-ceilinged room of the Federal District Court was packed with journalists, legal teams, and spectators. The scandal of the Vance family land trust had dominated regional news for half a year.
I sat in the front row of the prosecution bench next to Marcus Reed, the lead federal prosecutor assigned to the case. Beside me sat my mother, dressed in a soft blue coat, her color restored, her mind clear and sharp once again.
Across the aisle sat the defendants in orange jumpsuits: Uncle Richard, Julian Vance, and Cassandra.
Cassandra looked hollowed out. Her flawless beauty had withered beneath the harsh fluorescent lights of the detention facility. She refused to look in my direction, staring blankly at the defense table.
The judge slammed his gavel down, bringing the courtroom to instant silence.
"In the matter of the United States versus Richard Vance, Julian Vance, and Cassandra Lin," the judge read, his voice echoing off the mahogany paneling. "On the charges of attempted murder, systematic corporate fraud, conspiracy to commit murder, and grand larceny..."
The foreman of the jury stood up, holding a stack of papers.
"On count one, attempted murder of Eleanor Lin: We find the defendants... guilty."
"On count two, conspiracy to commit murder of Matthew Lin: Guilty."
"On count three, grand larceny and wire fraud: Guilty."
Gasps filled the courtroom. My mother squeezed my hand tightly, tears of relief leaking down her wrinkled cheeks.
Richard closed his eyes in defeat, while Julian slammed his fist onto the table, earning a harsh reprimand from the bailiffs. Cassandra simply sat frozen, realization finally settling over her that her grand illusion had permanently collapsed into a long, dark sentence behind iron bars.
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The judge looked down at the defendants with cold disgust. "Richard Vance, you abused your familial trust to orchestrate an atrocious series of crimes fueled by pure greed. You will spend the remainder of your natural life in a federal penitentiary without the possibility of parole. Cassandra Lin, Julian Vance... you are both sentenced to thirty years without parole."
As the bailiffs led the three of them away in chains, Cassandra briefly turned her head. For a fraction of a second, our eyes met. There was no rage left in her—only the empty, cold void of a woman who had traded her soul for nothing.
