Chapter 3 - The Second Set of Books
Gabriel stood up again, losing all control, his face mottled with red fury. "It's a lie! She's reciting a script! Clara has been coaching her for weeks—she's manipulating my own daughter to ruin my life!"
"Mr. Linwood, I warned you," Judge Holloway said coldly. She pressed a button on her desk intercom. "Bailiff, secure Mr. Linwood's briefcase on the defense table. Do not let anyone touch the contents."
Two bailiffs moved instantly, stepping to either side of the defense table before Gabriel could reach for the leather briefcase sitting beside his chair.
"You can't search that! That's protected by attorney-client privilege!" Gabriel shouted, lunging forward, but the bailiffs firmly pushed him back down into his seat, their hands resting on their utility belts.
"Privilege protects legal counsel, Mr. Linwood, not the concealment of an ongoing federal grand larceny scheme," Judge Holloway replied smoothly. She looked up at the gallery, then back down at Clara, whose expression had shifted from heartbreak to a cold, razor-sharp clarity.
"Mrs. Linwood," the judge said softly. "When you signed the petition surrendering all marital property and business shares just twenty minutes ago, did you have any knowledge of a secondary corporate ledger under Linwood Engineering?"
Clara stood tall, her hand resting firmly on her pregnant belly, her voice steady and resonant in the quiet courtroom. "No, Your Honor. I knew Gabriel was stressed about company expenses, but he always told me the debts were due to market downturns. He made me sign personal guarantee forms for office equipment loans last year, claiming it was just standard procedure for married couples."
Samantha’s face crumpled. She turned to Gabriel, hissing in a frantic whisper, "You said she wouldn't look into the loans! You said she was too naive to understand corporate debt!"
Gabriel shot Samantha a look of pure venom. "Shut your mouth, you absolute fool—"
"Quiet in the courtroom!" the bailiff shouted, slamming his hand down on the wooden partition.
Judge Holloway motioned to the bailiff holding Gabriel's briefcase. "Bring me the contents of that case. Let's see what kind of 'naive' financial planning Mr. Linwood has been conducting behind his pregnant wife's back."
The bailiff unzipped the leather briefcase, pulling out a thick stack of manila folders, corporate tax returns, and a small, gray encrypted flash drive, placing them carefully upon the judge’s desk.
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Judge Holloway opened the top folder, her eyes scanning the columns of numbers, wire transfers, and offshore account numbers. As she read, the lines around her mouth tightened into a hard, unforgiving line.
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