Chapter 6 - The Deposition

Three weeks later, the formal pre-trial deposition took place at the Cook County State Prosecutor's office.

Elena sat at the metal defense table wearing an orange jumpsuit, her hair unstyled, her expensive jewelry replaced by plastic identification bands. Sitting beside her was her disgraced lawyer, Marcus Black, who looked visibly defeated.

Across the table sat Arthur, looking immaculate in a dark navy suit, alongside Robert Sterling and Maria, who had been called as the state's star witness.

The prosecutor laid three thick binders of evidence on the table.

"Mrs. Vance," the prosecutor began coldly. "We have retrieved encrypted email chains between you and Julian Sterling spanning eighteen months. In these emails, you explicitly detail a plan to drain Leo Vance's trust fund, attach fake liabilities to Vance Capital, and flee to non-extradition jurisdiction in Paraguay."

Elena sat in silence, her hands trembling in her lap.

"Furthermore," the prosecutor continued, looking at Maria, "we have sworn affidavits from the domestic staff confirming that you systematically neglected Leo, threatened Maria with termination if she spoke to Arthur, and spent his care allowance on personal luxury goods."

Marcus Black leaned over and whispered into Elena’s ear: "Sign the plea agreement, Elena. If this goes to a jury, you will serve twenty years."

Elena looked up at Arthur, her eyes filled with desperate, tearful panic. "Arthur... please. We were married for six years! Think of Leo! You don't want his mother in prison!"

Arthur looked back at her with calm, unyielding eyes.

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"You stopped being his mother the moment you looked at his trust fund as your personal bank account," Arthur said clearly. "Leo has a mother in spirit—her name is Maria. You were just the person who shared a house with us."

Elena sobbed hysterically as Marcus Black pushed the plea agreement toward her. With trembling hands, she signed her name, forfeiting all parental rights, all claims to the Vance estate, and accepting a ten-year sentence in the state penitentiary.