Chapter 9 - ASHES OF THE PAST
The trial of Derek Bennett was a media circus, plastered across every news channel in the country. The story of the pregnant wife locked in a freezer and saved by the billionaire CEO was too cinematic for the press to ignore.
Grace didn't want to go to the courtroom, but she needed closure. Six months after that horrific night, she walked through the heavy oak doors of the courthouse, flanked by Julian and a team of bodyguards. She was dressed in a sharp, tailored navy suit, her head held high, looking nothing like the terrified, freezing victim Derek had left to die.
When Derek was brought out in his orange jumpsuit, chained at the wrists and ankles, he looked completely broken. The arrogance was gone. The charm had eroded. He looked pathetic.
He locked eyes with Grace, his mouth opening to speak, perhaps to beg.
Grace didn't flinch. She simply looked right through him, turning her head to smile at Julian, who was standing steadfast by her side.
The jury deliberated for less than two hours. Guilty on all counts: two counts of attempted murder, one count of attempted capital murder, insurance fraud, massive corporate embezzlement, and reckless endangerment.
The judge’s gavel cracked like a gunshot. "Life in prison, without the possibility of parole. May God have mercy on your soul, Mr. Bennett, because this court has none."
Grace let out a breath she felt she had been holding for half a year. Julian placed a warm hand on the small of her back, guiding her out of the courtroom, out into the bright, blinding sunshine of the Detroit afternoon.
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"It's over," Julian said, looking down at her.
"No," Grace smiled, feeling the warmth of the sun on her scarred hands. "It's just beginning."
