Chapter 7 - The Verdict and The Escape Attempt
The jury deliberated for less than six hours.
When the foreperson stood to read the verdict, the tension in the room was suffocating.
"On the charge of wire fraud... Guilty. On the charge of corporate embezzlement... Guilty. On the charge of witness intimidation... Guilty. On the charge of aggravated assault... Guilty."
Count after count. Thirty-two charges in total.
The judge looked down at Adrian. "Mr. Blackwell, given the severity of your crimes, your complete lack of remorse, and your attempts to intimidate the primary witness, I am sentencing you to forty-five years in federal prison, without the possibility of parole. You are remanded immediately."
Adrian didn't shout. He didn't rage. He simply went limp, the reality of his shattered life finally crushing him as the bailiffs dragged him away.
Outside the courthouse, the flashing cameras were blinding. Reporters shoved microphones toward me, shouting questions about how I felt, what my plans were, if I had a message for other victims of abuse.
Julian stood by my side, acting as a buffer against the press.
I stopped on the courthouse steps and looked directly into the nearest camera. "My message is simple," I said, my voice steady and strong. "They rely on your silence. They rely on your fear. But darkness cannot survive when you drag it into the light. Take your power back. Because they are never as strong as they pretend to be."
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As the crowd cheered, Julian turned to me, a proud, genuine smile lighting up his face. "You did it, Victoria. It's over."
"No," I replied softly, looking at the city skyline. "It's just beginning."
