Chapter 14 - The Viper Strikes
By Friday afternoon, the evidentiary hearing had concluded. With over eighty million dollars in illicit assets frozen and the federal indictment ratified, Sterling was ordered to surrender his passport and remanded into custody pending trial.
As federal marshals stepped forward to cuff him, Sterling turned toward the bench. His eyes were bloodshot, blazing with an unhinged, homicidal fury.
"This isn't over, Eleanor!" he snarled, struggling against the marshals' grip as the gallery watched in shock. "You think a black robe makes you a god?! You destroyed my life! I will tear your world down to the roots! You and that bastard child of yours!"
"Add criminal contempt and felony retaliation against a judicial officer to the remand order," I instructed the clerk calmly, though my blood ran cold at the mention of Lily. "Remove the defendant from my courtroom."
Two hours later, after signing the final emergency orders, I was in my chambers packing my briefcase. David stood by the window, watching the rain begin to fall across the city streets below.
"The marshals are escorting Sterling to the Metropolitan Detention Center right now," David said, turning to me with a reassuring smile. "It’s over, Eleanor. The Federal Magistrate denied bail completely. He’s locked away in a high-security administrative wing."
I let out a long, weary breath, leaning against my desk. "Why do I feel like the air hasn't cleared, David?"
David walked over, placing his warm hands over mine. "Because for thirty years, your family taught you to expect a blow every time you let your guard down. But you won. Claire is behind bars, Brandon is facing community service and massive financial judgments, and Sterling’s entire syndicate is broken. Lily is safe. You did it."
Just as I allowed myself to lean into his embrace, my personal mobile phone rang. It wasn't the courthouse line. It was the private number of Deputy Ramirez, the officer assigned to my home.
Frowning, I answered immediately. "Deputy Ramirez? Is everything alright at the house?"
Static crackled on the line, followed by the sound of rapid, heavy breathing. But it wasn't Ramirez's voice that responded.
May you like
It was a voice that sent a jolt of sheer terror straight into my spine.
"Mommy?" Lily sobbed, her voice trembling and breathless, accompanied by the muffled sound of a car engine roaring. "Mommy, where are you?! Justice won't wake up... and these men said you sent them to pick me up, but we aren't going to the courthouse!"
