The defense attorney had no further questions.

Next came Clara.

My heart was in my throat as she walked to the witness stand.

She looked fragile under the harsh courtroom lights, but her voice did not shake.

She detailed the isolation, the threats, and the physical violence she had endured behind the high stone walls of the Thorne estate.

“Julian told me that if I ever left, my mother would die in an accident,” she testified, her eyes locked onto Julian’s face.

Julian didn’t look back at her; he kept his eyes on his hands.

“He told me his family owned the police, the judges, and the city,” she continued. “And for a long time, I believed him.”

The prosecution played the audio recordings we had recovered from the hidden servers.

Julian’s voice filled the courtroom, cold and mocking, threatening to destroy Clara if she ever spoke to her mother again.

Several members of the jury looked away, their faces grim.

The trial lasted three weeks.

The jury deliberated for less than four hours.

On a rainy Thursday afternoon, the verdict was read.