Chapter 9 - The Trial of the Vances
Six months later.
The Cook County Criminal Courthouse was packed to capacity. Journalists, legal observers, and curious citizens squeezed into the wooden pews, creating a hum of quiet anticipation.
At the defense table sat Victoria Vance and her father, Richard. Gone were the designer clothes, the gold jewelry, and the salon-styled hair. Victoria wore a plain orange prison jumpsuit, her blonde hair pulled back into a messy ponytail, her face pale and sunken. Richard Vance looked broken, sitting silently beside his high-priced defense attorney, who looked visibly exhausted.
Across the room sat Arthur, dressed smartly, sitting beside Maya and Lily. Maya wore a simple navy blue dress, her posture upright and confident.
"All rise for the Honorable Judge Margaret Higgins," the bailiff announced.
The room fell dead silent as the elderly judge took her bench, adjusting her glasses as she looked down at the mountain of case files before her.
"We are here today for sentencing in the matter of the State of Illinois vs. Victoria Vance and Richard Vance," Judge Higgins began, her voice crisp and uncompromising. "The defendants have been convicted of multiple felony counts, including wire fraud, grand larceny, witness intimidation, and filing false police reports."
She turned her sharp gaze directly toward Victoria, who flinched slightly under the judge’s glare.
"Victoria Vance," Judge Higgins said sternly. "You operated with a level of cruelty and greed that this court rarely sees. You did not merely steal millions of dollars from your husband's business; you actively sought to ruin the lives of two orphaned young girls who had already suffered tragic loss. You attempted to frame an innocent man and weaponized the state foster system for your own financial gain."
Victoria’s attorney stood up quickly. "Your Honor, my client deeply regrets her actions and requests leniency based on her lack of prior criminal record—"
"Silence, counsel," Judge Higgins snapped, holding up a hand. "Your client showed zero leniency when she threatened a fourteen-year-old child in an alley at midnight."
The judge picked up her gavel, her tone heavy with finality.
"On the counts of grand larceny and corporate fraud, I sentence Richard Vance to twelve years in state penitentiary without the possibility of parole for seven years."
Richard dropped his head into his hands, let out a ragged breath.
"On the counts of witness intimidation, extortion, and fraud," Judge Higgins continued, looking directly at Victoria, "I sentence you, Victoria Vance, to fifteen years in the Logan Correctional Center. Furthermore, all personal assets, trusts, and real estate owned by the Vance family are hereby seized and ordered to be paid as restitution to the Kensington Estate and the Miller Children’s Trust."
BANG!
The gavel echoed through the courtroom.
Victoria let out a piercing shriek of desperation. "No! You can't do this to me! Arthur, tell her! Arthur, please!" She turned toward the gallery, tears streaming down her face as guards grabbed her arms. "Arthur, I loved you! Please don't let them take me!"
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Arthur didn't say a word. He didn't even look at her. He simply reached down, took Lily’s small hand in his left, took Maya’s hand in his right, and stood up.
As Victoria was dragged away kicking and screaming through the side door of the courtroom, Arthur led his daughters out into the sunlight.
