Chapter 10 - The Reckoning.The morning sun broke through the heavy clouds, casting long, dramatic shadows across the marble steps of the federal courthouse.
It had been exactly seventy-two hours since the raid on the data center, and the legal net had been pulled terrifyingly tight.
Arthur Vance sat at the defense table, looking like a hollow, defeated shell of the billionaire titan he once was.
His expensive suit looked loose on his frame, and the arrogant sneer had been replaced by a look of sheer, unadulterated panic.
Judge Rossi took her seat at the bench, her expression grim as she reviewed the massive stack of documents Major Sterling had just submitted.
“Mr. Vance, the prosecution has presented an unredacted digital ledger that explicitly details your transactions with known terrorist syndicates,” Judge Rossi stated loudly.
The gallery erupted into shocked murmurs, reporters aggressively typing away on their laptops as the full scale of the treason became public record.
“This ledger also contains documented proof that you knowingly supplied defective, sabotaged equipment to the United States Navy,” she continued.
Arthur stood up, his hands shaking so violently he had to grip the edge of the mahogany table just to remain upright.
“Your Honor, this is a fabrication, a targeted smear campaign orchestrated by a disgruntled, mentally unstable family member!” Arthur shouted, his voice cracking.
I sat quietly at the prosecution table, wearing my pristine dress uniform, letting the silence of the room drown his desperate lies.
Admiral Reed stood up from the front row of the gallery, his imposing presence demanding immediate respect from the entire room.
“The Department of Defense has verified the cryptographic signatures on every single transaction, Mr. Vance,” Admiral Reed stated with lethal authority.
“You sold out the lives of American sailors for a three percent bump in your quarterly profit margins.”
Arthur’s lead attorney slowly stood up, packed his briefcase, and walked away from the defense table without saying a single word.
When your own lawyer walks out in the middle of a hearing, the battle is entirely and unequivocally over.
Arthur looked around the enormous courtroom, realizing that his money, his influence, and his power had completely evaporated.
He looked at me, his own daughter, the woman who had survived the freezing deep to drag him down into the light of justice.
“I gave you everything,” Arthur whispered, a pathetic, broken plea directed at the daughter he had tried to bury.
“You gave me a scar,” I replied coldly, touching the twisted flesh on my neck, “and I am giving you a life sentence.”
Judge Rossi slammed her gavel down with finality, ordering the U.S. Marshals to take Arthur Vance into federal custody without bail.
As they slapped the heavy steel handcuffs onto my father’s wrists, I didn't feel a triumphant rush of victory or a sudden sense of peace.
I just felt the lingering, haunting chill of the ocean water finally receding from my memories.
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I walked out of the courtroom and into the blinding sunlight, ready to face whatever came next, knowing the ghosts of the Artemis could finally rest in peace.
Dưới đây là phần tiếp theo của câu chuyện, từ Chương 11 đến Chương 15. Tương tự như trước, câu chuyện được viết bằng tiếng Anh để giữ nguyên mạch cảm xúc, phong cách Hollywood thriller và sự thống nhất của tác phẩm.
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