Chapter 9: The Proof She Buried
The judge opened it, read the contents, then looked straight at Evelyn.
“This morning,” he said, “the county clerk’s office received a sworn affidavit and bank records showing you’ve been diverting funds from the Whispering Pines Charity for over ten years—money meant for the very families you claim to care about.”
The courtroom went dead silent.
“Furthermore,” he continued, “these records show you paid contractors to falsify reports claiming Ms. Harrington’s project was unsafe—all to keep the land for yourself.”
Evelyn slumped in her chair. Her lawyers exchanged panicked looks.
Silas leaned over to Victoria. “I had my team dig through old files. I knew she’d been hiding something.”
Victoria looked at Evelyn. “All that talk about ‘decency’ and ‘tradition’… and you were stealing from the people who needed it most.”
Evelyn stood up, voice shaking. “That’s not—you can’t prove—”
“We can,” Silas said. “And we will.”
The judge banged his gavel. “This lawsuit is dismissed with prejudice. Lady Evelyn Vance—you are hereby ordered to surrender your passport, and state police are waiting to take you into custody on charges of fraud and embezzlement.”
As deputies approached, Evelyn looked at Victoria one last time—with pure, unmasked hatred.
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