CHAPTER 6: THE DEFENSE
Nathan's lawyer was a woman named Patricia Vance. She was sharp, relentless, and completely ruthless.
She stood up and approached the witness box.
"Mrs. Ashford, isn't it true that your father is Jonathan Sterling, head of Sterling Global?"
"Yes."
"And isn't it true that Sterling Global has been trying to acquire Ashford Global Logistics for years?"
"I don't know anything about that."
"Don't you? Because it seems awfully convenient that you married a CEO, then four years later, your father's company takes over his."
"Mr. Ashford beat me. He tortured me. He conspired to kill me. That's not convenient. That's evidence."
"But you didn't tell anyone, did you? You didn't go to the police. You didn't even tell your father until after the incident."
"I was scared."
"Scared of what?"
"Of him."
Nathan's lawyer smirked.
"Or were you scared that your father's investigation would reveal that your husband was innocent? That you'd manufactured evidence to frame him?"
"I didn't manufacture anything. The recordings are real."
"Are they? We've examined them. The authenticity is... questionable."
I looked at the judge.
"Your Honor, if the defense wants to challenge the authenticity of the recordings, I'm happy to have them analyzed by an independent expert."
The judge nodded.
"That seems reasonable."
Patricia Vance looked frustrated.
"Mrs. Ashford, isn't it true that you've been suffering from mental illness for years?"
"I've been suffering from abuse for years. Those are different things."
"Have you ever been diagnosed with a mental disorder?"
"No."
"Depression? Anxiety? PTSD?"
"I have PTSD from being abused. That's not a mental illness. That's a reaction to trauma."
The lawyer didn't have any more questions.
Because she couldn't win.
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The evidence was too strong.
Nathan and Celeste were going to prison.
