Chapter 211

~ Octavia ~

It was the day of the court hearing.

I had never been at the courthouse as the victim testifying against the men who’d tried to destroy my life. What have I ever even done to them? They only cared about money and power.

The lawyer advised that we give our testimonies as it will help with the sentencing. Even though Franklin tried but the law still stands. So we were all on ground for it.

Franklin held my hand as we walked through the doors. Behind us came everyone who mattered, grandpa in his wheelchair, my mum and dad were there to, their steady presence reassuring. Trudy and Annie who sat with Clinton, they had come to support him.

I had learnt Trudy is Annie’s mum.

The gallery was packed. The media had gotten wind of this case, a corporate conspiracy, an attempted murder, betrayal at the highest levels. It was the kind of story that sold papers and filled news cycles. And knowing the Flemington, it was a big one. Even for JeffTech.

Dorian sat at the defendant’s table, looking nothing like the powerful man I’d known. He looked rough. Beside him were Kieran Townsend and Anthony Rice. Three men who’d gambled on destroying us and lost.

"All rise," the bailiff announced as the judge entered.

Judge Mirabel was a woman in her sixties with a reputation for being fair but unyielding. She settled into her seat and reviewed the case details, her expression professional. Surely, she had handled so many cases like this and she wasn’t moved.

The prosecution presented their case first. They walked through the evidence methodically. The recorded conversations where Dorian gave explicit orders. The financial records showing payments to Kieran for services rendered. The communications between Anthony and Dorian detailing the plan to eliminate Franklin as a threat to the company. The plane crash and all they planted.

When Detective Tate took the stand, he was thorough. He explained how they’d uncovered the conspiracy, how the evidence had been gathered, how each defendant played a role in the attempted murder plot.

Then it was my turn.

I stood, placed my hand on the Bible, and swore to tell the truth. My voice was steady as I testified about what I’d discovered. About finding the evidence. About confronting Dorian. About the moment I realized just how deep the conspiracy went. That I also fell and suffered Amnesia. Because Anthony had sent someone to push me down the stairs.

The prosecution’s lawyer was careful with me, respectful. She knew I was the key witness, the one who’d put all the pieces together.

When the defense attorney cross-examined me, he tried to poke holes in my story. But I’d prepared. I knew the facts. I knew what I’d seen and got. Maybe he thought there would be a way out for his clients, he was mistaken.

Even the media were already dragging them.

He had tried to use our fake marriage, but it was dismissed by the court. I mean, we were legally married.

"Isn’t it true," he asked, "that you were motivated by personal vendetta against my client?"

"No," I said calmly. "I was motivated by a desire to protect my husband and my family. And by a commitment to the truth."

Franklin’s testimony came next. I mean, Dorian had threatened him too. The plane crash was something to hold against him well.

Clinton testified too, his voice breaking slightly when he talked about his father. The courtroom was silent as he explained how Dorian had manipulated him, how he’d ultimately chosen what was right over blood.

In all of these, I feel for Clinton. I wonder how he felt, watching his father letting power and greed consume him.

The prosecution rested their case.

The defense called a few witnesses, but it was clear from the beginning that they didn’t have much. Dorian’s lawyer tried to claim his client was a victim of circumstance, that he’d been manipulated by others. It fell flat. I mean, why wouldn’t it? There were enough evidences.

By the end of day three of the trial, the jury had deliberated for exactly six hours.

"Have you reached a verdict?" Judge Mirabel asked.

"We have, your honor," the jury foreman stood.

The words came one after another. Guilty. Guilty. Guilty.

On all counts.

Dorian’s face went white. Kieran looked blank. Anthony just stared straight ahead, defeated.

The gallery erupted. I felt Franklin’s arm around my waist, pulling me close. Behind us, I heard Trudy say something that sounded like a prayer of thanks.

"Order!" Judge Mirabel banged her gavel. "I will have order in this courtroom."

She looked at the three men standing before her. "You have been found guilty of conspiracy, attempted murder, and fraud. Sentencing will take place in three weeks as this case is with a high profile. Until then, you will remain in custody."

As the bailiffs led them away, I felt something shift inside me. Not closure exactly, I wasn’t naive enough to think one trial could close all the wounds. But justice. Real, tangible justice.

We filed out of the courtroom into the hallway. Reporters swarmed us immediately, shouting questions, trying to get comments. Franklin pulled me closer, and the security detail that had been hired for just this purpose cleared a path.

"You were incredible," Frederick said, gripping my hand from his wheelchair. "Absolutely incredible."

I looked around at all of them, my family, my chosen family. Franklin’s hand never left mine.

"We did it," I said. "Together."

Because that was the truth. I hadn’t done this alone. We’d done it together, as people who loved each other enough to fight for what mattered.

The road ahead wouldn’t be easy. There would be sentencing hearings and appeals and all the legal machinery that came with something this serious. But right now, in this moment, standing here with the people I loved most in the world, I allowed myself to feel something like peace.

It was over.

But it did not feel like it. What could we be missing?