Chapter 15 - The Verdict
The courtroom of the Federal Palace of Justice was packed to capacity. Flashbulbs flared relentlessly as the three-judge panel took their seats beneath the towering mahogany crest of the Mexican republic.
Adrián Salgado sat at the defense table alone. No lawyers. No supporters. Just a stack of court-appointed briefs he didn't know how to read.
The chief magistrate adjusted his glasses, his voice echoing coldly through the vaulted chamber.
“On the charges of wire fraud, tax evasion, corporate asset stripping, and conspiracy to commit financial fraud against the Mendoza-Garza Trust, this court finds the defendant, Adrián Salgado, guilty on all counts.”
A collective gasp swept through the gallery.
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“For these crimes, the court sentences the defendant to twelve years in a federal maximum-security penitentiary, with no option for early parole, alongside full restitution of all misappropriated assets.”
Adrián didn't cry out. He didn't beg. He simply stared down at his hands, watching the heavy steel shackles resting against his wrists. The gavel came down with a final, echoing crack—the definitive sound of an empire turning to dust.
