Chapter 8 - The Trial of the Century.
Three months later, the high-profile criminal trial of Victoria Carter completely captivated the entire nation.
The courtroom was absolutely packed with reporters, curious onlookers, and heavy security details.
Victoria sat at the defense table, wearing a modest, conservative dress and crying fake, dramatic tears to garner sympathy from the jury.
Her ruthless lawyer, Arthur Vance, aggressively attacked every single piece of evidence presented by the prosecution.
When it was Elena's turn to testify on the witness stand, Arthur Vance paced around the room like a hungry, dangerous shark.
"Isn't it true, Elena, that you are secretly in love with Mr. Carter and you framed my client so you could steal her wealthy husband?" the lawyer asked maliciously.
Elena sat perfectly straight in her chair, refusing to let the arrogant lawyer intimidate her in front of the jury.
"I saved an innocent baby from being brutally murdered by a deeply greedy, heartless woman," Elena answered with loud, unwavering confidence.
"I do not care about Mr. Carter's money, I only care about the absolute truth, and the video proves exactly what your client did," she added fiercely.
Arthur Vance scoffed loudly, attempting to dismiss her powerful words, but the jury was clearly moved by Elena's deep sincerity.
The prosecution then called Richard to the stand, who had agreed to testify against Victoria in exchange for a slightly reduced prison sentence.
Richard detailed exactly how Victoria had forced him to forge the signatures, explaining her massive, greedy plot to steal the insurance money.
Eleanor watched from the front row of the gallery, her face completely twisting with absolute rage as her daughter's defense crumbled.
Sensing that they were losing the case, Eleanor decided to play her final, most desperate card.
During the lunch recess, Eleanor cornered Mark in the empty marble hallway outside the busy courtroom.
"If you drop the charges against my daughter today, I will walk away and leave you and the baby alone forever," Eleanor offered coldly.
"If you refuse, I will spend every single penny of my massive fortune making sure you never know a moment of peace," she threatened venomously.
Mark stood incredibly tall, looking down at the wicked older woman with absolute, undeniable disgust.
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"You can take your dirty money and rot in hell, Eleanor, because I am going to watch you both lock away forever," Mark stated fearlessly.
He turned his back on her and walked away, completely ready to deliver the final, crushing blow in the courtroom.
