CHAPTER 12: The Trial of Greed
Three months later, the federal trial of Pierre Laurent and his associates commenced at the downtown courthouse. The gallery was packed with journalists, socialites, and everyday citizens wearing buttons that read: *Art for All*.
Pierre sat at the defense table, his once-flawless demeanor completely shattered. His expensive suits had been replaced by a drab prison jumpsuit. His high-priced legal team tried desperately to paint him as a victim of financial panic, but the paper trail was absolute.
Julian was called to the stand as the primary witness.
The defense attorney paced aggressively in front of the witness box. “Mr. Vance, isn't it true that you deliberately staged your disappearance to avoid your fiduciary duties, effectively trapping my client in an impossible financial predicament?”
Julian looked past the lawyer directly into the eyes of the jury.
“I left the corporate board because I realized that when art becomes an asset class, humanity loses its mirror,” Julian testified calmly. “Pierre wasn't trapped by my absence. He was trapped by his own insatiable desire to be seen as important. He commodified beauty, forged history, and sent armed men into a room full of children.”
A heavy hush fell over the courtroom.
The jury deliberated for less than ninety minutes.
**“Guilty on all twenty-four counts.”**
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As Pierre was led out in chains to serve a twelve-year sentence in federal prison, he caught Julian’s eye one last time. There was no anger left in Julian’s gaze—only a profound, sorrowful pity for a man who had traded his soul for a temporary throne.
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