Chapter 11: The Voice of the Innocent**
Justice Carter looked down from the bench, her expression softening as she addressed the young girl. "Lily, you don't have to be afraid here. This room exists to protect people who tell the truth. Do you know who that woman is?"
The judge pointed toward Julianna.
Julianna attempted a forced, sweet smile, leaning forward slightly. "Lily, darling, tell the judge how happy you were in the garden suite."
Lily stopped walking. She looked directly at Julianna. The memory of the cold cellar, the forced posture drills, and the cruel threats flashed through her mind, but they no longer carried the power to paralyze her.
"You told me that if I cried, you would send my mother to prison forever," Lily spoke clearly, her voice echoing off the high plaster ceiling. "You told me that my mother didn't love me because she didn't have money to buy me nice things. But my mother came through the door when you had everything, and she wasn't afraid of you. You were the one who was afraid."
A hushed murmur swept across the gallery. Julianna sank back into her wooden chair, burying her face in her manicured hands.
May you like
"Arthur Sterling," Justice Carter announced, striking her gavel with a sharp, final crack. "You are remanded into federal custody without bail pending charges of racketeering, judicial bribery, and kidnapping. The custody order is vacated with prejudice. This court recognizes Victoria Vance as the sole, unencumbered guardian of Lily Vance."
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