Chapter 16 - The Day We Walked Into Court
The final court appearance was far less dramatic than television would have made it.
No screaming.
No surprise witness bursting through doors.
Just attorneys, documents, questions and consequences.
The fraudulent property transfer was formally unwound in the record.
Financial responsibilities were established.
The remaining civil issues were resolved according to the agreements and orders reached through the case.
I sat beside Margaret.
Dominic sat elsewhere.
Amber and Nathan had their own representation.
At one point, Dominic looked toward me.
I met his eyes.
He didn't ask me to rescue him.
That mattered.
When we walked outside, reporters weren't waiting.
No crowd applauded.
The sky didn't change.
Life simply continued.
And I loved that.
Because justice, I discovered, didn't need an audience to matter.
Margaret hugged me.
“What now?”
I looked toward the parking lot where Sarah waited.
“Lunch.”
Margaret laughed.
“That's it?”
“No.”
I smiled.
May you like
“Then I have a life to live.”
---
