Guard 1: Turn around! Face the wall right now!
Amanda: Don't touch me! That briefcase contains private corporate secrets!
The lead guard grabbed Amanda’s wrist, twisting her arm behind her back with a swift, practiced motion. Amanda shrieked in anger as the heavy leather briefcase slipped from her fingers, clattering loudly down three stone steps before popping open on the landing.
Dozens of crisp white legal documents, financial ledger printouts, and wire transfer slips spilled out, fluttering down the stairs like fallen leaves.
Judge Sterling: Inspect those papers immediately.
Guard 2: Sir! These are bank transfer authorizations from the late Julian Sterling's personal trust account... transferred directly into an offshore holding company named Vance Capital!
Judge Sterling: Vance Capital... the shell company Amanda registered in Nevada two weeks before my son’s accident.
Amanda: Julian authorized those transfers! He wanted me to manage his wealth because Cora wasn't capable!
Cora: He... he never trusted you with his money, Amanda... He told me he was going to fire you the day before his car crash...
Judge Sterling: You heard her. My son knew you were embezzling corporate funds from Vance Global. That’s why you tampered with his estate papers, wasn't it?
Amanda: It was my money! I built Vance Global with him while she sat at home living off his credit cards!
Cora: I designed the original patents for Vance Global, Amanda... My father funded the seed capital for Julian’s first factory...
Judge Sterling: Cora is a fifty-percent co-founder of the entire enterprise. You were nothing more than a salaried secretary who got greedy.
Outside the grand glass entrance, the loud, wailing sirens of an approaching ambulance echoed through the street, growing louder by the second.
Guard 1: Paramedics are at the front gates, Chief Justice!
Judge Sterling: Clear the hallway! Get them in here right now!
Two paramedics rushed through the doors carrying a foldable stretcher, emergency medical kits, and a portable ultrasound monitor. They slid onto their knees beside Cora, immediately placing an oxygen mask over her face and checking her pulse.
Paramedic 1: Ma'am, try to take deep, calm breaths. Can you tell me where it hurts the most?
Cora: My lower back... and my stomach... Please, check the baby's heartbeat!
Paramedic 2: Applying the fetal monitor now. Hold steady.
The entire hall fell completely silent. Even the guards holding Amanda held their breath as the paramedic pressed the cold ultrasound transducer against Cora's navy dress. For ten agonizing seconds, only static filled the small speaker.
Amanda sneered from the top of the stairs, her voice laced with poison.
Amanda: You're too late. Look at the blood on the floor. That child is gone, and you can't pin a murder charge on me without a legal victim!
Judge Sterling: Keep her silent before I add witness tampering to her indictment!
Suddenly, a rapid, rhythmic sound erupted from the monitor speaker—a strong, fast, steady thump-thump-thump that echoed through the marble hall.
Paramedic 2: Fetal heartbeat is strong! One hundred and forty-five beats per minute! The baby is alive!
Cora let out a violent, sobbing breath of relief, her whole body shaking as fresh tears swept down her cheeks.
Cora: Oh, thank God... Thank God...
Judge Sterling: Hear that, Amanda? My grandson is alive. And that means you are going to face attempted double murder, corporate embezzlement, and grand forgery!