Chapter 14 - The Trial of the Century
The federal trial of United States v. Grant Kingsley lasted exactly four days.
It wasn't because the prosecution lacked evidence; it was because the evidence was so overwhelmingly devastating that Grant’s high-priced defense attorneys realized within the first twenty-four hours that their only option was to plead guilty in exchange for a slightly reduced sentence.
The media circus outside the Daniel Patrick Moynihan United States Courthouse was larger than the one that had ruined his wedding two years prior. News vans lined Foley Square, reporters shouting questions into cameras as federal marshals led a handcuffed, broken Grant Kingsley past the flashing lights.
He didn't look up. His eyes were glued to the ground, his face pale and hollowed out, carrying the permanent stamp of a man who had traded everything for pride and lost it all to truth.
I watched the live broadcast from the comfort of our Hamptons living room, with Chloe sitting on my lap, babbling happily as she tried to grab the television screen.
Dominic walked in carrying a tray of fresh fruit and coffee, setting it down on the coffee table before sitting beside us. He wrapped an arm around my shoulders, pulling us both close.
“He was sentenced to seven years federal prison without parole,” Dominic said quietly, looking at the screen. “And the remaining assets from the Kingsley estate have been entirely liquidated and transferred to the foundation.”
I looked down at Chloe, pressing a gentle kiss to her soft curls. “Do you think he regrets it?”
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“People like Grant don't regret their actions,” Dominic answered honestly, his voice firm and grounding. “They only regret getting caught. But what matters isn't what Grant feels anymore, Claire. It’s what we have built in the space he left behind.”
I leaned my head against Dominic’s shoulder, looking out the massive glass windows toward the Atlantic Ocean where the sun was beginning its golden descent. The ghosts were gone. The nightmare was buried. All that remained was our future.
