Chapter 7 - The Final Desperate CardThe jury took less than forty-five minutes to return a verdict.
"On the count of First-Degree Murder in the death of Arthur Montgomery: Guilty."
"On the count of Attempted Murder of Evelyn Montgomery: Guilty."
"On the count of Wire Fraud and Theft: Guilty."
"On the count of High Treason and Espionage: Guilty."
Victoria fell back into her chair, gasping for breath. Chloe burst into hysterical sobs, burying her head in her hands. Donald Vance stared blankly at the floor, his life's ambition crumbled into dust.
The judge looked down at the defendants with icy disdain.
"Victoria Montgomery, Donald Vance, Chloe Vance," the judge declared. "Your actions demonstrate a complete absence of human decency. I sentence you, Victoria Montgomery, and you, Donald Vance, to Life Imprisonment without the possibility of parole, to be served in maximum-security federal confinement."
"As for you, Chloe Vance," the judge continued, "for your active role in the physical torture of Evelyn Montgomery and grand larceny, you are sentenced to thirty years in federal prison."
As the marshals stepped forward to cuff them and lead them away, Victoria suddenly broke away from her guards. She grabbed the edge of the wooden partition, her eyes wild, her face contorted with madness.
"You think you won, Julian?!" Victoria screamed, saliva flying from her lips. "You think you get to live happily ever after with that worthless peasant?!"
"Take her out!" the judge ordered.
"LISTEN TO ME, JULIAN!" Victoria shrieked as three marshals dragged her toward the side doors. "Evelyn isn't who you think she is! Check her real birth certificate! Check why Arthur really chose her for you! SHE WAS NEVER A RANDOM GIRL! SHE WAS—"
The heavy courtroom doors slammed shut, cutting off her crazy screams.
The gallery buzzed with shocked murmurs.
I looked down at Evelyn. She looked just as confused as I was, her brows furrowed in confusion.
"What did she mean, Julian?" Evelyn whispered, her hand trembling in mine. "What was she talking about?"
May you like
Marcus approached us, holding a yellowed Manila envelope sealed with red wax that had been kept in Arthur’s personal safety vault at the federal courthouse.
"Julian... Evelyn," Marcus said, his voice quiet. "Before Arthur died, he gave me this envelope. He told me to open it only after the trial was completely finished. I think it’s time you read it."
