CHAPTER 8: THE TRIAL OF THE CENTURY
The federal courtroom in downtown Los Angeles was packed to absolute capacity for the opening statements of the trial against Victor Grant. Media outlets from around the world broadcasted the proceedings live, turning the corporate corruption scandal into a historic global event.
Victor sat at the defense table looking frail and defeated, wearing a standard orange jumpsuit that swallowed his once-imposing frame. He refused to look up toward the public gallery where Richard and Liam sat with calm, dignified composure.
The lead prosecutor stood before the jury box, displaying massive digital timelines detailing the fraudulent corporate takeover, embezzlement, and attempted murder charges. "The defendant used his vast wealth as a weapon to crush anyone who stood in the way of his unchecked greed," the prosecutor stated firmly.
Witness after witness took the stand, including former board members, bribed accountants, and the maritime saboteurs who confessed to rigging the yacht. The evidence was overwhelming, airtight, and utterly devastating to any defense strategy Victor's lawyers attempted to construct.
When Liam took the witness stand to testify about the afternoon he was run off the road by the black Rolls-Royce, the courtroom fell into absolute silence. Liam spoke clearly, recounting the terror of the crash and Victor's chilling admission about wanting to keep him quiet.
"He looked at me like I wasn't even a human being, just an obstacle in his way that needed to be erased," Liam told the jury without flinching. Victor’s defense attorney cross-examined him aggressively, trying to paint the teenager's testimony as an emotional exaggeration, but Liam remained unshaken.
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When Liam stepped down from the stand, he walked back to his seat beside his father, receiving a proud nod of absolute approval. The jury members looked at Victor with undisguised disgust, having heard enough sordid details to make their collective decision long before deliberations began.
The trial moved at a breakneck speed, dismantling every single lie the defense attempted to introduce into the official record of the court. Justice was no longer an abstract concept; it was a ticking clock counting down the final moments of the billionaire's reign of terror.
