Chapter 17 - A MOTHER's SENTENCEThe judge slammed his wooden gavel down with a sharp, definitive crack.
"On the counts of felony aggravated assault, attempted administration of a hazardous substance, and corporate fraud... you are hereby sentenced to fifteen years at the Logan Correctional Center, without possibility of parole for twelve years."
A soft gasp rippled through the gallery.
Eleanor’s face drained of every drop of color. She stood up abruptly, her waist chain clanking loudly against the wooden table. "Your Honor! This is an outrage! My son manufactured these charges—"
"Bailiffs, remove the defendant," Judge Sterling ordered coldly.
As two armed officers took Eleanor by the arms, she turned her head frantically, catching Arthur’s eye across the courtroom.
"Arthur!" she cried out, her refined voice cracking into a desperate, hollow shriek. "Tell them! I'm your mother! You can't let them do this to me!"
Arthur stood up slowly. He didn't look at her with hatred or vengeance. He looked at her with the quiet, profound pity reserved for a stranger who had destroyed her own world.
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"Goodbye, Eleanor," Arthur said softly, his voice firm and unwavering.
The heavy steel doors closed behind her, cutting off her voice forever.
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