Chapter 12 - The Unraveling Defense
Three months later.
The pre-trial hearing at the county courthouse was packed with news reporters and court observers.
Sarah sat at the defense table, wearing a dark grey prison jumpsuit. Her blonde hair had grown out, showing dark roots, and her former beauty was replaced by a hollow, bitter glare. Her high-priced defense attorney stood beside her, trying to argue for bail.
“Your Honor,” the attorney argued loudly. “My client is a respected member of the community with no prior criminal record. The allegations are based entirely on circumstantial audio recorded by an interested party—”
The prosecutor stood up calmly, holding a thick black binder.
“Your Honor, we object to bail,” the prosecutor stated sharply. “We have just completed a financial audit of Mrs. Vance’s offshore accounts. Over the past eighteen months, she transferred over four hundred thousand dollars from the family allowance to an account in the Cayman Islands, paying a rogue pharmacist to supply unscripted compounds.”
The judge looked over his glasses at Sarah, his face hardening.
“Bail is denied,” the judge ruled, slamming his gavel. “The defendant will remain in custody pending trial.”
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Sarah slammed her hands on the table, screaming obscenities at the judge as bailiffs dragged her back toward the holding cells.
👉 Read PART 13 to discover the secret Elena left behind for Marcus and Lily!
