Chapter 9 - THE GAVEL FALLS
The trial lasted three weeks, but the verdict took the jury less than four hours. Guilty on all counts: aggravated elder abuse, wire fraud, conspiracy, and attempted murder.
When the judge handed down a thirty-year sentence without the possibility of early parole, Vivian finally broke, screaming as the bailiffs dragged her away. Marcus just stared at the floor, entirely broken. I walked out of the courthouse into the bright Dallas sun, the heavy weight of the last six years finally lifting from my shoulders. The orphan princess hadn't just come home; she had reclaimed the kingdom.
