Chapter 14 - Dismantling the DynastyThree weeks later, the dust had begun to settle, leaving a path of absolute destruction for the Vance family.
The baby monitor footage, combined with the digital forensics provided by Veritas, left the prosecution with an open-and-shut case. Daniel’s defense attorney had tried to negotiate a plea deal, but Raymond Sterling’s legal team had blocked every avenue.
Daniel was sentenced to four years in state prison for felony assault, domestic battery, and corporate espionage. His reputation was utterly destroyed, his assets frozen to pay for the massive civil damages owed to Sterling Venture Capital.
Lorraine, despite her age, did not escape justice. She was sentenced to two years of probation and three hundred hours of community service, her name dragged through the local mud until she was forced to sell her home to pay her legal fees. She was banned from ever contacting Claire again.
Claire sat in her new office in the Sterling Tech Incubator building, looking out over the city skyline.
The divorce papers had been finalized in record time. She was officially Claire Sterling once more. On her desk lay the first official patent certificate for Veritas, bearing her name and her name alone.
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Her phone buzzed. It was an email from the National Science Foundation, confirming a five-million-dollar grant to develop her software for federal educational institutions.
She had not just survived; she had conquered.
