Inside the private holding room, Evelyn paced back and forth, holding an ice pack against her swollen face.
Her high-powered defense attorney, Arthur Pendelton, stepped into the room, closing the door behind him.
Evelyn: Arthur! Tell me you spoke to the district attorney!
Arthur: Evelyn, keep your voice down. The entire building is wired with government recording devices.
Evelyn: I don't care! Get me out of these handcuffs! Pay the bail!
Arthur: There is no bail, Evelyn. The judge saw the live broadcast footage. You dropped an infant from a balcony height on video.
Evelyn: It was a accident! Tell them I had a sudden dizzy spell!
Arthur: You spoke directly into Marcus’s microphone before letting go. The audio feed is crystal clear.
Evelyn slammed her hand against the metal table, her eyes filled with desperation.
Evelyn: What about the prenup clause?! Can we still claim half the estate if I file for divorce first?
Arthur: The prenup has a strict moral turpitude and criminal conduct clause. If you are convicted of a felony, you get nothing.
Evelyn: Zero dollars?! I spent three years married to that boring politician!
Arthur: You’re not understanding the severity of your situation, Evelyn. You are looking at twenty-five years in federal prison for attempted murder.
Evelyn: My father is a supreme court justice! He can pull strings!
Arthur: Your father just released a public statement ten minutes ago. He has officially resigned from your defense fund.
Evelyn: What?! My own father abandoned me?!
Arthur: He saw the video, Evelyn. No politician or judge will touch this case with a ten-foot pole.
The heavy metal door clicked open, and Marcus walked in holding a sealed manila envelope.
Marcus: Leave us for a moment, Arthur.
Arthur: Senator Vance, I advise my client not to make any further statements without me present.
Marcus: She can remain silent. She just needs to sign these documents.
Marcus tossed the thick legal stack onto the metal table in front of Evelyn.
Evelyn: What is this? Divorce papers?
Marcus: Sole legal custody papers, a full surrender of all marital property, and a complete confession to intent to harm.
Evelyn: You expect me to sign away everything I worked for?!
Marcus: If you sign this now, I will instruct my legal team not to file federal wire fraud charges regarding the trust fund accounts you tried to alter.
Evelyn: You found out about the offshore transfers?
Marcus: My forensic accountants spent the last two hours digging through your private accounts. You stole six hundred thousand dollars from Chloe’s medical trust last month.
Evelyn froze, her hands shaking as she looked down at the signature line on the white paper.
Evelyn: You tricked me... you let me manage those accounts on purpose!
Marcus: I trusted my wife to care for our daughter. You proved to be a thief and a coward.
Evelyn: If I sign this... you won't push for the maximum sentence?
Marcus: I won't press federal fraud charges. But the attempted murder charges stay. You will face a jury of your peers.
Evelyn: You are a cold, heartless bastard, Marcus!
Marcus: I am a father protecting his child. Pick up the pen and sign.
Evelyn grabbed the black pen, scribbling her name violently across the bottom of each page before shoving them back across the table.
Evelyn: Take your stupid papers and get out of my sight!
Marcus: Have a nice life in prison, Evelyn.
Marcus picked up the signed documents, stepping out into the hallway as two police officers moved in to transport Evelyn to the federal holding facility.