Chapter 20: Verdict Watch
219 words
The bailiff wrestled Thorne back into his seat, but the damage was absolute. The jury was ushered out to deliberate, leaving a vibrating tension in their wake.
Elena sat frozen. The video had replayed her trauma in high definition, stripping her bare all over again. She felt phantom pains in her scars.
Three hours passed. The air conditioning hummed, sounding like a death rattle.
Kendra was pacing, checking her phone. "Thorne's trying to move," she muttered. "My contact at the airport just pinged. He booked a one-way to the Caymans ten minutes ago."
"Can he leave?" Elena asked, panic clutching her throat. If he ran, the victory was hollow. She needed him to pay, not vanish.
"Not with a flagged passport," Kendra smirked, tapping a notification. "TSA just detained him at the gate. He's not going anywhere but a holding cell."
Elena breathed, but the knot in her stomach didn't loosen. A verdict could still go wrong. Juries were unpredictable. Maybe they thought she was stupid for getting the surgery. Maybe they blamed the victim.
The door behind the bench opened. The Bailiff stepped out, his face unreadable.
"All rise," he intoned. "The jury has reached a verdict."
Elena stood, her legs feeling like water. She gripped the table, the wood biting into her palms. This was it.
End of Chapter 20
