The soldier returned to hold his newborn, only to find his wife severely battered in the hospital bed. The older woman proudly bragged about teaching her a lesson, completely unaware of the heavy footsteps stopping right behind her back.

The courtroom was vast, silent, and smelled of polished oak and old paper. Sophia and I sat at the plaintiff's table with Naomi. We looked stoic, pretending the stress was tearing us apart.

When the heavy wooden doors opened, Eleanor and Audrey were escorted in by two bailiffs. They wore orange jumpsuits, their wrists shackled, but their posture was arrogant. Audrey smirked when she saw Sophia. Eleanor shot me a look of pure, venomous triumph. They believed Marcus had terrified us into submission. They believed they were about to get their money.

The judge, an older woman with a no-nonsense demeanor, called the court to order. "We are here regarding the emergency injunction filed by the plaintiffs, Eleanor and Audrey Vance, against the estate trust."

Eleanor’s sleazy attorney stood up. "Your Honor, my clients have been the victims of a malicious smear campaign. The video evidence used to convict them was fabricated. They are the rightful heirs to this trust, and we demand the immediate unfreezing of assets."

"Mr. Vance?" the Judge asked, looking at me. "Your response?"

Naomi stood slowly. She didn't hold a single piece of paper. She just looked at Eleanor.

"Your Honor, we have no defense against the civil suit," Naomi said clearly.

Eleanor gasped in delight. Audrey practically bounced in her chair.

"Because," Naomi continued, her voice dropping to a deadly chill, "as of 6:00 AM this morning, the plaintiffs' civil case has been superseded by a federal criminal indictment."

The sleazy attorney blinked. "What? Your Honor, I have no notice of—"

The courtroom doors opened again. Captain Ruiz walked in, accompanied by two FBI agents.

"Eleanor Vance, Audrey Vance," Ruiz announced, his voice echoing off the high ceilings. "You are under arrest for conspiracy to commit murder, extortion, and witness tampering."

Eleanor’s smile vanished. Her face drained of all color, aging ten years in a single second. "No," she whispered. "No, Marcus wouldn't..."

"Marcus sang like a bird," I said, my voice carrying across the silent room. "We have the phone logs. We have the wire transfers. We have the guard, Jenkins. It’s over."

Audrey began to hyperventilate, her chains rattling as she shook. "Mom! You said he was reliable! You said we'd get the money!" She turned to the judge, tears streaming down her face. "It was her idea! My mother made me do it! I didn't want to hurt the baby!"

Eleanor shrieked, lunging at her own daughter, her shackled hands tearing at Audrey’s hair. "You stupid, ungrateful brat! Shut your mouth!"

The bailiffs swarmed them, dragging the two women apart as they screamed and cursed at each other. The mask was entirely gone. The elegant, cruel women who had tortured my wife in my absence were reduced to feral animals, turning on each other in the dirt.

As they were dragged backward out of the courtroom, Eleanor locked eyes with me. She was crying now, begging. "Lucas! Lucas, please! I'm your mother! You can't do this to me!"