Chapter 24 - THE TRIAL BEGINSThe federal courthouse was crowded on the first morning of the trial.
Reporters filled the press gallery. Investors waited for updates on Sterling Meridian. Former employees gathered outside, hoping to hear whether the company would survive the scandal.
Richard Sterling entered with a team of high-profile attorneys.
Julian Vance followed, his expression rigid.
Victoria Sterling arrived separately under an agreement to cooperate with prosecutors, subject to the terms of her testimony and any outstanding legal exposure.
Thomas sat in the gallery beside Daniel.
Amber was scheduled to testify later in the week.
The prosecution opened by explaining how the alleged conspiracy had operated: fraudulent transfers concealed behind legitimate contracts, shell companies used to move money, and threats deployed against people who discovered the records.
The defense argued that the financial arrangements had been misunderstood and that lower-level employees had acted without authorization.
Then the prosecution introduced the Caterpillar Trust.
Bank records showed a series of transactions moving through accounts controlled by Victoria and Julian. The transfers matched handwritten entries in Margaret's ledger.
An accountant explained how the money had been disguised as investment expenses.
A former company officer testified that Julian had ordered him to backdate several contracts.
By the second day, the defense had stopped arguing that the transactions did not exist.
Instead, they argued that Richard had not known what they meant.
That argument weakened when prosecutors played a recording of Richard instructing Julian to “make the witness problem disappear.”
The courtroom fell silent.
Richard's attorney objected to the interpretation of the phrase, but the judge allowed the jury to consider the recording alongside the other evidence.
On the fourth day, Victoria took the stand.
She admitted that she had managed accounts used to conceal transfers and had helped protect her father from scrutiny.
She also testified that Richard had authorized payments to the security contractor who confronted Margaret.
The defense questioned her motives, suggesting she had turned against her father to protect herself.
Victoria did not deny that she wanted to limit her own exposure.
“I have reasons to protect myself,” she said. “But the records are real. The transfers happened. And my father knew what he was authorizing.”
When she stepped down, Richard stared at her with undisguised hatred.
For the first time, the Sterling family had fractured in public.
But the prosecution still needed to connect the financial conspiracy to Margaret's death.
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That evidence would come from an unexpected witness.
Mark Ellison was prepared to testify.
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