Chapter 17 - THE VIRAL TAPE
The news of the explosion at Atlanta International Airport dominated American television networks within hours.
CNN, Fox News, and social media platforms circulated high-definition footage recorded by a housemaid at Vance Manor months earlier.
The video showed Eleanor Vance standing over Ethan while a guard attached the heavy iron chain to the wooden doghouse.
Public outrage erupted across the United States, with millions demanding maximum sentencing for Eleanor.
Outside the federal courthouse in Atlanta, hundreds of protesters held signs reading JUSTICE FOR ETHAN and PROTECT OUR CHILDREN.
In the stock market, Vance Global Enterprises stock plunged seventy percent in a single trading session.
Inside a private holding cell at the Fulton County Jail, Eleanor sat on a steel bench, staring at the concrete floor.
Her attorneys walked in, their faces solemn and exhausted.
"We can't fight this, Mrs. Vance," her lead lawyer said softly. "The video evidence is absolute, and the federal government is taking over all family assets under the RICO Act."
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Eleanor slowly raised her head, her silver hair now messy and unkempt. "Where is Nora?"
"She is currently in Montana," the lawyer revealed. "Taking possession of the family ranch."
