Judge Thornton sat at the elevated bench, looking down over his reading glasses.

Lydia sat next to me at the plaintiff’s table, sorting through bank statements and shipping manifests.

Across the aisle, Evan sat next to his mother, Vivian.

Vivian wore a black tailored suit, her posture rigid, her eyes fixed on the mahogany table.

Sloane sat two seats down, her face obscured by large glasses.

Cole Brantley sat in the back row, accompanied by his own legal counsel.

“We have reviewed the inventory logs seized from Pierce Logistics,” Lydia announced to the court.

She placed a stack of documents on the podium.

“Over four hundred bottles of Hayes Reserve vintage were illegally removed from the estate cellar.”

“The sales records show transactions totaling over two million dollars,” Lydia continued.

“These funds were routed through shell corporations managed by Vivian Vance.”

Vivian’s lawyer stood up.

“Your Honor, my client was merely managing a family trust,” the lawyer said.

“She had no knowledge of any theft.”

Lydia produced a printed email chain.

“We have the electronic correspondence between Vivian Vance and Cole Brantley,” Lydia said.