Chapter 3 - The Judge’s Screen
At the bench, Judge Sterling’s face remained an impassive mask as the contents of the USB drive began to load on his private terminal.
For nearly five minutes, the courtroom was suspended in absolute stillness. The only sound was the low hum of the HVAC system and the nervous rustle of papers from Jonathan’s legal team.
Arthur Vance leaned over to Jonathan, whispering sharply. “What’s on that drive, Jonathan? Did you leave corporate files on a home server?”
Jonathan’s face had lost all its color. Beads of sweat formed along his hairline, despite the crisp air conditioning in the room. He didn't answer his attorney. Instead, his eyes darted toward the jury box, then toward the back exit, as if calculating his chances of walking out of the building right now.
Judge Sterling scrolled through directory folders. His cursor clicked on an audio file labeled ‘Reed-Carter_Settlement_Strategy_2025.mp3’.
A click of the mouse, and the courtroom speakers—usually reserved for digital exhibits and expert testimony—crackled to life.
A crisp, unmistakable voice filled the room.
“Listen to me very carefully, Arthur,” Jonathan’s recorded voice boomed, sharp and dripping with chilling condescension. “We don’t need to negotiate with Olivia. She’s broke, she’s living on a couch, and her cousin’s address looks like a slum. We push the mental instability angle hard. I’ve already paid Dr. Henderson three grand to testify that she’s a flight risk. Once the judge grants sole custody, she won't have a leg to stand on.”
Another voice—presumably Vance’s—replied on the recording: “And the financial records showing the offshore transfers from the corporate development fund? If her legal aid subpoenas those—”
Jonathan laughed on the tape. A harsh, arrogant sound. “They won't. The offshore accounts are under shell corporations registered in the Caymans under my mother’s maiden name. Even if they dig, the trail dead-ends before it ever hits my tax returns. Olivia is too stupid to figure it out, and her lawyer is a public-defender wannabe who can't afford forensic accountants.”
The courtroom erupted into a chaotic murmur.
“Order! Order in the court!” Judge Sterling slammed his gavel down three times, the loud cracks echoing like gunshots.
Victoria Reed gasped, her hand flying to her pearls. “That’s a fabrication! That’s artificial intelligence! My son’s voice was cloned by hackers!” she shrieked, standing up from her seat before her attorney frantically pulled her back down.
Savannah Blake, the twenty-four-year-old influencer girlfriend, pulled out her phone, her eyes wide with terror, instantly opening her camera app to check her social media feeds, terrified that reporters were already outside.
Olivia sat paralyzed. She looked from the speakers back to Jonathan. All those years of being told she was crazy, unstable, and incompetent—all those nights she had cried herself to sleep believing she was failing her children—were washed away in a single wave of electronic audio.
He hadn't just beaten her in court. He had engineered her destruction.
Judge Sterling paused the audio file. He looked up from his screen, his expression dark as thunderclouds.
“Mr. Vance,” the judge said, his voice terrifyingly quiet. “Do you care to explain what artificial intelligence could possibly have fabricated tax identification numbers, notarized Cayman Island shell corporation certificates, and bank deposit slips matching the exact dates of these recorded disbursements?”
Arthur Vance slowly removed his glasses, his face turning pale. He looked at Jonathan, realization dawning with sickening clarity. “Mr. Reed… did you lie to this firm?”
Jonathan stood up abruptly, his chair clattering backward. “This is a violation of privacy! Those files were stolen from my private residence! They are inadmissible under illegal search and seizure!”
“Mr. Reed,” Judge Sterling interrupted, standing up behind the high bench, towering over the courtroom. “You are currently standing in a family court custody hearing where the best interests of minor children override corporate privacy shields. Furthermore, the audio files and financial documents indicate potential federal felonies involving perjury, tax evasion, and judicial tampering.”
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The judge turned his gaze to the bailiff.
“Bailiff, secure the exits. Nobody leaves this courtroom. And contact the U.S. Attorney’s office in Chicago immediately. Tell them Judge Sterling has a preliminary evidence package regarding corporate fraud and obstruction of justice that requires their immediate presence.”
