Chapter 9 - The Digital Eyes
Paramedics rushed me to a private conference room, checking the baby's vitals as I wept in terror. The heartbeat was strong, but the sharp abdominal pain necessitated immediate hospital transport. While I was wheeled out, Marcus’s attorneys scrambled to delay the hearing, claiming the day was too emotionally charged. Judge Cole refused. The attack had happened in her courtroom. She immediately issued temporary protective orders, suspended all direct contact between Marcus and me, and ordered the preservation of all courthouse security footage. Vanessa was detained by police. Marcus maintained his lie. She tripped. He believed his word was gospel. But Franklin County Court was wired. Three different cameras had captured the aisle. One showed Vanessa’s aggressive pivot; another showed her deliberate shoulder drop; the third captured Marcus watching the assault with cold indifference before lying to the bailiff. The audio picked up his exact, damning words. The man who had manipulated reality behind closed doors had finally slipped up in the one place where the walls had eyes.
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