Guilty on all counts.

The judge, a stern woman with grey hair and silver-rimmed glasses, ordered them held without bail until sentencing.

As the marshals led Julian away in handcuffs, he finally looked at Clara.

His face was contorted with a mixture of rage and disbelief, his lips moving silently, but the marshals pushed him through the side door before he could speak.

Eleanor was led out next, her head held high, refusing to look at anyone.

Gareth went quietly, his head bowed, his shoulders slumped in defeat.

***

Two months later, we returned to the courtroom for the sentencing.

The air in the room was heavy, filled with the quiet rustle of legal pads and the low murmur of reporters.

The judge did not mince her words.

“The level of greed, cruelty, and corruption displayed by this family is staggering,” she said, looking down from her high bench. “You used your wealth as a shield to prey on the vulnerable and destroy lives.”

She sentenced Eleanor Thorne to eighteen years in a maximum-security federal facility.

Julian received twenty-four years, with no possibility of parole.