Chapter 8 - The Audio That Shook the CourtroomThe courtroom audio system crackled to life.
Crystal-clear, high-definition sound filled the quiet room.
“The boy is terrified of me,” Richard’s voice echoed loudly through the courtroom speakers. “You tell him that if he doesn't cry on cue and say he wants to live with his grandfather, I’ll make sure his mother is permanently locked away in a psychiatric ward where he’ll never see her again.”
A collective gasp swept through the gallery.
Richard’s smug smile vanished instantly. The color drained from his face so fast he looked like a corpse. He spun around, staring at the speakers in sheer, unadulterated terror.
“And if the judge asks about the financial records?” an unfamiliar voice—his attorney’s—asked on the recording.
“We lie,” Richard’s recorded voice replied smoothly. “Just like we did when we drained Daniel’s company accounts after his funeral.”
Judge Harrison’s face turned dark, hard, and terrifyingly cold. He slowly turned his gaze from the speakers down toward Richard Mercer.
“Mr. Mercer,” the judge said, his voice dropping an octave into a lethal whisper. “Is that your voice?”
May you like
“That—that is an illegal recording! It’s AI-generated! It’s a complete fabrication!” Richard shouted, losing all his polished composure as he lunged toward the defense table.
“It was downloaded from the master server of your own residence, Mr. Mercer,” the federal investigator interjected, stepping forward and flashing his badge. “Along with financial ledgers proving you systematically embezzled your late son’s estate funds.”
