Chapter 6 - The Reckoning in Room 402The emergency hearing didn't happen in a courtroom. Because of Lily's medical condition, the judge, a formidable woman named Judge Bennett, agreed to hold the deposition directly in Lily’s recovery room, Room 402.
At 1:00 PM, the room was packed.
Lily sat upright in her bed, her face pale but her eyes filled with a quiet, brilliant defiance. I stood beside her, my hand resting gently on her shoulder. Across the room sat Grant, wearing his expensive suit, his lawyers whispering frantically in his ear. He tried to glare at Lily, but the presence of the judge and two armed state troopers kept him frozen.
Dr. Evans stood by the bedside, adjusting the ultrasound machine. "Your Honor, before the deposition begins, I want to present the physical evidence of the victim's internal injuries. We conducted a secondary ultrasound this morning to monitor the splenic bleeding."
Dr. Evans turned on the machine, the monitor displaying a vivid, high-resolution image of Lily’s internal organs. He pointed to a dark, pool-like shadow.
"This is the lacerated spleen, Your Honor," Dr. Evans said, his voice echoing in the quiet room. "This injury was caused by high-impact blunt force trauma—consistent with being kicked or struck with immense force. It is physically impossible for this to have been caused by a fall down the stairs, as the defense claims."
I covered my mouth with a trembling hand, tears of grief and rage spilling down my cheeks.
Suddenly, the heavy glass doors of the room burst open.
Two uniformed Seattle police officers walked in, accompanied by Detective Miller. They didn't look at the lawyers; they marched straight toward Grant.
"Grant Vance," Detective Miller announced, pulling a set of heavy steel handcuffs from his belt. "You are under arrest for first-degree child abuse, corporate fraud, and federal tax evasion."
"This is a setup!" Grant screamed, his face contorting into an ugly, veins-bulging mask of absolute rage as the officers grabbed his arms, forcing him to his knees on the hospital floor. "You can't do this to me! Claire! You're a liar! You're a hysterical bitch! I'll ruin you!"
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"The only thing ending today is your legacy, Grant," I said, looking down at him with a cold, triumphant smile.
The handcuffs clicked shut with a sharp, final sound, and the officers dragged him out of the room in front of the flashing cameras of the local reporters who had just breached the hospital lobby.
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