Chapter 8 - The Verdict
The jury deliberated for less than three hours.
When the courtroom doors opened and the twelve jurors filed back into their seats, the silence in the room was deafening.
Adrian stood beside his attorney, his hands trembling so violently he had to grip the edge of the table to stay upright.
“Will the defendant please stand,” Judge Harold Vance ordered from the bench.
Adrian stood up, his face ashen gray.
“Mr. Foreman,” Judge Vance said. “Has the jury reached a unanimous verdict?”
“We have, Your Honor,” the foreman replied, standing up and reading from a document.
“On Count 1: First-Degree Grand Larceny... we find the defendant, Adrian Vale, Guilty.”
Celeste let out a choked sob from the gallery.
“On Count 2: Corporate Fraud... we find the defendant, Adrian Vale, Guilty.”
“On Count 3: Embezzlement... we find the defendant, Adrian Vale, Guilty.”
Guilty on every single count.
Judge Vance slammed his gavel down sharply. “The defendant is remanded into custody without bail pending final sentencing.”
Bailiffs stepped forward immediately, grabbing Adrian’s arms and securing steel handcuffs behind his back.
As he was being led away toward the holding cell, Adrian stopped near the railing where I was standing. He looked at me, his eyes brimming with tears of pure desperation.
“Claire...” he whimpered, his voice cracking like a child’s. “Please... tell me how to fix this. I lost everything. Vanessa blocked my number... my mother is bankrupt... I have nothing left.”
I stood up, smoothed down my suit jacket, and looked at him with cool, quiet dignity.
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“You didn't lose everything today, Adrian,” I whispered softly. “You lost everything six months ago when you thought my love was a weakness you could exploit.”
The guards pulled him through the side door, his desperate sobs fading down the concrete hallway as the heavy steel latch clicked shut.
