Chapter 7 - The Arraignment
The courtroom was packed to capacity. Reporters from local and national news agencies crowded the aisles, holding cameras and microphones, eager to capture every detail of the high-society scandal. The headline already plastered across digital feeds read: *'High Society Scalding: Architect Arrested in Boiling Pot Horror.'*
I sat in the front row of the gallery, wearing a tailored navy blue blazer that exposed the edge of my burn scars. Laura Chen sat beside me, offering a reassuring squeeze of my hand. Across the aisle sat Marcus Vance, Ryan’s defense attorney, looking remarkably pale and stressed.
The bailiff’s voice boomed through the chamber. 'All rise for the Honorable Judge Evelyn Vance.'
Judge Vance entered, her expression stern and unyielding. She adjusted her glasses, scanning the courtroom before locking her piercing gaze on the defense table where Ryan and Diane stood in orange jumpsuits, their hands cuffed behind their backs.
'Mr. Sterling, Mrs. Sterling,' Judge Vance began, her voice carrying an icy chill. 'You stand charged with aggravated domestic battery, conspiracy, and attempted murder. How do you plead?'
Ryan looked over his shoulder, locking eyes with me across the courtroom. His face was twisted in a mixture of hatred and desperate pleading. He expected me to show weakness. He expected me to look away.
Instead, I met his gaze with a cold, unblinking stare, lifting my left arm slightly so he could see the angry, healed textures of my skin. Ryan flinched, turning back to the bench.
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'Not guilty, Your Honor,' Marcus Vance spoke up nervously on their behalf. 'We intend to contest the admissibility of the electronic evidence on grounds of illegal wiretapping and unlawful seizure.'
Judge Vance’s eyes narrowed. 'Counselor, the warrant for the server seizure was signed by a federal judge yesterday morning based on verified forensic metadata. Your motion is denied. Furthermore, given the severity of the violent acts and the clear flight risk—considering the transfer of funds from known criminal associates—bail is denied. Remand both defendants to Cook County Jail without bond.'
