Chapter 5 - THE JUDGE’S CHAMBERS
Armed with unassailable digital evidence, Judge Vance arranged a confidential, pre-dawn hearing inside the chambers of Chief Federal Judge Evelyn Sterling. Sitting across the polished oak desk, Grace presented the encrypted backup files, complete with audio recordings of Derek bragging about his plan to abandon her penniless on the streets.
Judge Sterling reviewed the documents with tight-lipped intensity. "This isn't just a messy divorce, Mr. Vance," Judge Sterling stated, her voice cutting through the quiet chambers. "This is an active federal conspiracy involving securities fraud, embezzlement, and malicious institutionalization. Granting an emergency ex-parte asset freeze will strip Mr. Ashford of his corporate liquidity within twenty-four hours." Papers were signed, seals were stamped, and the legal trap snapped shut around Derek Ashford before he even woke up in his lonely penthouse.
