Chapter 3: The Deposition
Three months later.
The high-ceilinged conference room of the federal courthouse was cold and quiet. Across the long mahogany table sat Adrian Vale. He was dressed in a standard blue prison jumpsuit, his hands loosely cuffed at the wrists. The sharp, immaculate CEO had aged ten years in ninety days. His dark hair was streaks of gray, his cheeks sunken, his eyes devoid of the smug confidence that had once defined him.
Beside him sat his public defender. Vanessa’s father had pulled all his money out and fled the country, abandoning Adrian to his fate, while Vanessa had publicly annulled their engagement weeks ago to save her own skin.
I sat at the opposite end of the table with Marcus. I wore a tailored navy suit, my hair styled, glowing with the quiet confidence of a mother who had reclaimed her life.
“Mrs. Vale—pardon me, Ms. Thorne,” the Assistant U.S. Attorney began, addressing me. “We are on the record for the pre-trial deposition of Adrian Vale. Ms. Thorne, please state for the record your historical role at Vale Biomedical.”
“I was the co-founder and Chief Technology Officer from its inception until six months ago,” I stated clearly.
Adrian kept his head down, staring at his cuffed hands.
“Can you verify the authenticity of these digital authorization logs?” the prosecutor asked, sliding a document across the table.
“Yes,” I said. “These logs show that on November 14th, Adrian Vale executed an illegal transfer of primary patent rights to an unverified third party. He forged my digital key signature.”
“That’s a lie!” Adrian suddenly blurted out, slamming his cuffed hands onto the table. The guards snapped to attention. “You knew about it, Evelyn! You set me up!”
“Silence your client, counselor,” the prosecutor warned sternly.
Adrian’s lawyer pulled him back, whispering urgently into his ear, but Adrian’s bloodshot eyes remained locked on me.
“You knew I didn’t understand the technical compliance protocols!” Adrian shouted, tears of rage and desperation welling in his eyes. “You managed that side of the business! You left those loopholes open on purpose so I would fall into them!”
“I didn’t set a trap for you, Adrian,” I replied, my voice calm, almost sympathetic to his absolute delusion. “I built a secure system. You chose to break into it to rob me. You stole from the company, you stole from me, and you thought you were too smart to get caught because you wore an expensive suit.”
“Evelyn… please,” Adrian’s tone shifted rapidly from rage to pleading, a pathetic display of emotional whiplash. “Think about Leo! You want his father to be a convicted felon? You want him to grow up knowing his father was in prison?”
“His father isn’t in prison,” I said softly.
Adrian froze. “What?”
“His father doesn’t exist,” I said, looking at him with absolute finality. “You made sure of that when you traded your family for a fleeting fantasy. Leo will grow up knowing a mother who protected him, built a empire for him, and never compromised her integrity.”
The prosecutor cleared his throat. “Mr. Vale, given the overwhelming paper trail provided by Ms. Thorne, the Department of Justice is offering a plea agreement. Twelve years in a federal penitentiary, full restitution of stolen funds, and the immediate surrender of all corporate voting rights.”
Adrian looked at his lawyer, then at me. The reality of his complete downfall settled over him like a suffocating blanket. He closed his eyes, a single tear slipping down his cheek.
“Sign it,” he whimpered to his lawyer. “Just sign it.”
Orther Post
"Six Months After the Divorce: His Wedding, My Empire"
6
Chapters