Chapter 9 - The Trial of the Century
The bullet shattered a massive crystal chandelier above the stage, sending a rain of sparkling glass tumbling onto the velvet carpet.
Before Victor Vance could clear the cylinder to fire a second shot, Marcus was already upon him.
With the terrifying speed of a former Special Forces operator, Marcus struck Victor’s wrist with the edge of his hand, sending the revolver flying across the marble floor. Marcus then grabbed Victor by the collar, swept his legs out from under him, and slammed the billionaire face-first onto the hard floor, pinning his head beneath his tactical boot.
"Suspect secured!" Marcus barked.
Agent Miller rushed forward, snapping the heavy steel cuffs around Victor Vance’s wrists, pulling the bleeding, disheveled CEO to his feet.
The crowd was in utter chaos—people screaming, scrambling for the exits, while news reporters who had been attending the event scrambled to broadcast live feeds on social media.
Julian remained standing in the center of the room, his arms wrapped tightly around Elena, his heart hammering against his ribs.
"Elena... are you hit?" Julian gasped frantically, his hands flying over her shoulders, her arms, her waist, searching for blood. "Look at me, my love! Are you hurt?!"
Elena looked up at him, her breath hitching, but her eyes were clear, bright, and completely uninjured.
"I’m okay, Julian," she whispered, leaning her head against his chest, listening to the wild, pounding rhythm of his heart. "I’m okay. You saved me."
Julian pulled her into an embrace so tight, so ferocious, that Elena could feel the trembling relief radiating through his entire body. He kissed her hair, her forehead, her cheeks, weeping openly in front of two hundred wealthy spectators and live news cameras.
"It's over," Julian choked out, his voice raw with emotion. "It's finally over."
Six months later.
The United States District Court for the Southern District of New York was surrounded by over a thousand journalists, news vans, and crowds of supporters carrying signs that read JUSTICE FOR ELENA and PROTECT THE CHILDREN.
Inside the grand, oak-paneled courtroom, the verdict was delivered.
Senator Richard Montgomery sat at the defense table, his face grey, his once-imposing political presence completely shattered. Beside him sat Victoria Montgomery—stripped of her married name, her high-society status, and her fortune—staring blankly at the floor in a orange federal jumpsuit.
In the second row of the defense gallery, Victor Vance sat in heavy leg restraints, his legal team looking utterly defeated.
The judge, a formidable woman with stern eyes, struck her gavel three times, restoring absolute silence to the packed courtroom.
"On the count of conspiracy to commit federal kidnapping," the judge announced, her voice echoing clearly through the courtroom, "we find the defendant, Richard Montgomery... GUILTY."
"On the count of medical fraud and human trafficking, we find the defendant, Victor Vance... GUILTY."
"On the count of accessory to kidnapping and child endangerment, we find the defendant, Victoria Montgomery... GUILTY."
A roar of emotion erupted from the gallery.
In the front row of the prosecution gallery, Julian sat with his hands clasped tightly around Elena’s. She wore a simple, elegant cream suit, her eyes filled with quiet, profound tearful relief as she listened to the sentences handed down by the court.
Senator Montgomery was sentenced to thirty-five years in federal prison without the possibility of parole. Victor Vance received forty years. Victoria Montgomery was sentenced to fifteen years in a medium-security facility.
As the marshals led the convicted criminals away in chains, Victoria paused for a fleeting second, looking back at Julian and Elena.
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For the first time in four years, Victoria saw no anger in Julian’s eyes. She saw only absolute indifference—the look of a man who had completely erased her existence from his life.
Julian turned away from her, taking Elena’s hand, and walked out of the courtroom into the bright afternoon sun.
