Chapter 25 - The Trial of the Judge Before Dante could answer, the secure comms unit on Sterling’s desk chimed with a high-priority ping. A crisp, digitally altered voice echoed through the speaker system—a voice belonging not to Dante, but to someone sitting miles away in the Chicago estate.
"Judge Sterling," the voice said. It was Leo.
Sterling frowned, glancing at the desk speaker. "Who is this?"
"This is the street brat," Leo's cold, steady voice rang out through the encrypted channel. "And while you’ve been sitting here drinking bourbon, my automated scripts just transferred every dollar of your offshore PAC funds into public municipal charities across Illinois and Indiana. Your federal pension is currently being audited by three separate independent agencies, and your judicial immunity has been officially revoked by the federal ethics board."
Sterling’s face drained of color. He slammed his glass down onto the desk, spilling amber liquid across the glass. "That's impossible! Those accounts are heavily encrypted behind federal-grade protocols!"
"Encryption is just a tally of what people currently understand, Judge," Dante murmured, echoing his own words from months prior, a cold, dangerous smile touching his lips. "My son is a very fast learner."
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Sterling lunged frantically for a panic button hidden beneath the desk drawer—but Dante moved faster. The suppressor on the Sig Sauer made a soft pfft sound, and the bullet shattered the mahogany console an inch from Sterling’s fingers, pinning his sleeve to the wood.
"Don't," Dante whispered. "The trial is over, Arthur. And the verdict has already been signed."
