Chapter 4 - The Desperate Strike
Judge Mercer slammed her gavel repeatedly to restore order.
"Mr. Julian, you are dangerously close to being held in contempt of this court," she warned sharply.
Julian ignored her entirely, his pristine image completely shattered.
He ripped open his own leather briefcase, tearing through neat files until he found a single, yellowed document.
He waved it frantically in the air.
"This is the original charter of her father's trust fund," Julian panted, his chest heaving.
"It clearly states that if the beneficiary engages in infidelity, the trust is immediately dissolved and divided with the spouse."
My mother instantly stopped crying and lowered her hands from her face.
Jasmine sat up straight, a desperate glimmer of hope returning to her eyes.
They really thought they still had a chance to ruin me.
"I have photographs of my wife entering a hotel room with another man last month," Julian announced triumphantly.
He threw a stack of glossy photographs onto the judge's bench.
I didn't blink.
I didn't flinch.
I just watched him dig his own grave deeper into the earth.
Judge Mercer picked up the photographs, her expression unreadable.
"Do you care to explain these, Mrs. Julian?" the judge asked, looking down at me.
Elias stood up, adjusting his suit jacket calmly.
"We are fully aware of those photographs, Your Honor," Elias said smoothly.
"In fact, we were hoping he would submit them to the court today."
Julian frowned, his manic energy faltering for a second.
"The man in those photographs is named Marcus Vance," Elias explained to the room.
"He is not my client's lover."
Elias pulled out a certified business card and handed it to the bailiff.
"He is a senior forensic accountant and a private investigator."
Julian’s face went entirely blank.
"My client met with him secretly at that hotel to hand over the financial hard drives she smuggled out of Julian's home office," Elias continued.
"She hired him to trace the exact path of the stolen money."
I finally turned my head and looked directly into Julian's eyes.
"Did you really think I would cheat on you in a public hotel right across the street from your law firm?" I asked quietly.
Julian stumbled backward, his knees hitting his chair.
"You took my hard drives?" he whispered in absolute terror.
"Every single one of them," I replied softly.
Julian realized in that moment that he had just submitted photographs proving I was actively investigating his crimes.
He had handed the judge the timeline of his own downfall.
"Your Honor," Elias said, moving in for the kill.
"Since Mr. Julian has kindly brought up the rules of the late Mr. Hayes's trust fund, we would like to invoke its primary defense clause."
Julian looked up, confusion mixing with his deep dread.
"What defense clause?" Julian stammered weakly.
May you like
Elias smiled a cold, terrifying smile.
"The poison pill," Elias stated.
