Chapter 9 - THE TRIAL OF THE CENTURY
Six months later, the courtroom in Madrid was packed to maximum capacity. The media had dubbed it the "Black Widow Trial."
I sat in the front row, wearing a tailored navy suit, my demeanor perfectly calm.
Valeria and Diego sat at the defense table. They looked abhorrent. Jail had stripped Valeria of her expensive makeup and elegant gowns; she looked frail, aged, and terrified. Diego sat in a wheelchair, his spirit completely broken.
When the prosecutor played the audio recording from the warehouse, the entire courtroom fell dead silent. Hearing Diego describe how they held Elena down, hearing Valeria coldly justify the murder for money—it sent shivers down the spine of the judge and the jury.
The defense tried to argue entrapment, but the forensic evidence was undeniable. The prosecutor presented the forest-green button. He presented the DNA match. He presented the financial ledgers Elena had found, proving the massive embezzlement scheme.
Desperation set in. Valeria took the stand and attempted to blame the entire murder on Diego, claiming he had forced her to do it. Diego screamed at her from his wheelchair, calling her a liar and a monster. They tore each other apart in front of the entire country, exactly as I knew they would.
The jury deliberated for less than two hours.
Guilty on all charges. First-degree murder, conspiracy, and massive financial fraud.
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The judge sentenced them both to life in a maximum-security prison without the possibility of parole. As the bailiffs dragged my screaming mother away, she locked eyes with me, begging for forgiveness.
I didn't blink. I didn't smile. I just turned away and walked out the heavy oak doors, stepping out into the bright, warm Spanish sun.
