My Political Business Partner Cornered Me Outside Court While 7 Months Pregnant — He Didn't Realize His Security Chief Was Working For Me
It was nearly a year after Marcus Hollister’s arrest. Elara was gurgling happily in her swing at home, oblivious to the world of legal battles. I was at the courthouse for another perfunctory pre-trial hearing, another delay tactic from the defense.
The hallway was unusually quiet. The usual bustle of lawyers and petitioners was absent, replaced by a eerie, echoing silence.
As I rounded a corner, I saw him. Marcus. He stood alone outside a courtroom door, impeccably dressed, looking as if nothing had ever happened.
My steps faltered. He turned, and our eyes met across the deserted corridor. He offered a slight, almost imperceptible nod.
My heart hammered against my ribs. There was no press, no crowds, no Gavin, no Diane. Just us, separated by about ten feet of polished linoleum.
He began to walk slowly towards me, his gaze never leaving mine. I stood my ground, my hands clenched inside my coat pockets.
“Sarah,” he said, his voice low, conversational, as if we were merely acquaintances catching up. “A long time, isn’t it?”
I said nothing, my face a mask.
He stopped a few feet away. “I just came from the prosecutor’s chambers.”
A cold premonition swept over me. This wasn’t a casual chat.
“They’ve agreed to a deal,” he continued, his eyes glinting with a smug satisfaction. “A reduced plea. Misdemeanor charges only.”
My breath hitched. Misdemeanor. All the federal charges, the bank fraud, the extortion, reduced to something minor?
“Zero jail time,” Marcus added, a triumphant sneer now evident on his face. “Probation, a fine. All charges related to ‘campaign finance irregularities’ will be dropped.”
The words hit me like a physical blow. Zero jail time. After everything. After the stolen money, the coerced family, the altered deeds, the medical cutoff.
My carefully constructed trap, my months of planning, Gavin’s sacrifice, Arthur’s risk, Diane’s tireless work – all of it reduced to a slap on the wrist.
“The Assistant State Attorney General was very persuasive,” Marcus murmured, his gaze falling to my abdomen, as if remembering my pregnancy. “Turns out, some investments are worth protecting, even from themselves.”
He shrugged, a gesture of casual impunity. “A small price to pay for future considerations.”
He started to turn away, his mission accomplished. But before he left, he looked back over his shoulder.
“You really thought you could bring down the system, Sarah?” he asked, a chilling amusement in his voice. “This is how the game is truly played.”
Then he walked away, leaving me standing alone in the silent corridor, the echoes of his casual cruelty ringing in my ears. The system had failed.
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