Chapter 8 - The Desperate Play
Dominic’s court-appointed public defender quickly stood up, adjusting his tie nervously. “Your Honor, the defense enters a plea of not guilty on all counts. Furthermore, we are moving for immediate release on personal recognizance, citing—”
“Denied,” Victoria interrupted before the lawyer could even finish his sentence.
The courtroom murmured in shock. Dominic leaped to his feet, ignoring his lawyer’s frantic attempts to pull him back down.
“You can’t do this!” Dominic shouted, his voice cracking with panic and rage, breaching courtroom etiquette entirely. “This is a personal vendetta! You’re biased! You’re my mother-in-law, you have a direct conflict of interest, and you’re acting out of malice!”
Dead silence fell over the courtroom. Every eye darted between the furious defendant and the calm, collected judge on the bench.
Victoria slowly leaned forward, resting her hands on the mahogany desk. Her eyes locked onto Dominic with a piercing intensity that made even the federal marshals step back a fraction.
“Mr. Ward,” Victoria said, her voice dropping to a low, measured register that carried absolute dominance. “Let’s clarify a few things for the record. First, your marriage to my daughter was legally dissolved an hour ago via an emergency annulment decree based on violent felony assault and duress. Second, my jurisdiction over this federal RICO case was established eighteen months ago by the Department of Justice, completely independent of our familial ties.”
May you like
She paused, letting the crushing weight of her words settle over the room.
“And third,” Victoria continued, tapping her gavel once with crisp, terrifying finality, “do not ever mistake a mother’s grace for judicial weakness. You thought you owned this county. But you forgot that federal law doesn't care about your money, your goons, or your corrupt police captains.”
