My Smug Ex Claimed Leaving Me Was His "Smartest Move"—Then My Billionaire Husband Exposed His Sick Secret Email In Front Of His New Wife!** / Chapter 26 / 68

Chapter 28 - The Final Appeal

Six months later, my pregnancy was showing beautifully, a round, healthy belly beneath my stylish maternity dresses. Ellis Advisory was being managed smoothly by my senior partners, allowing me to take a well-deserved step back to focus on my health, my family, and the foundation.

In May, Drew Halston made his final, desperate legal maneuver.

His court-appointed appellate attorney filed an emergency petition for sentence commutation based on "extreme psychological distress and inadequate initial representation."

A brief administrative hearing was scheduled before the South Carolina State Court of Appeals in Columbia. Because state regulations required victim notification, Jonathan Vance and I attended via closed-circuit video conference from our home study.

On the screen, Drew appeared from the prison video room.

He looked ten years older than his thirty-four years. His hair was streaked with gray, his cheeks hollow, his eyes haunted and devoid of any lingering spark of his former arrogance. He sat with his hands folded meekly on the metal table, barely able to look into the camera lens.

His attorney gave a brief, half-hearted plea about Drew's family losses, the liquidation of Halston Holdings, and his ruined health.

Then the Chief Appellate Judge, a formidable woman named Evelyn Vance (no relation to Jonathan), turned her piercing gaze toward Drew.

"Inmate Halston," Judge Vance spoke, her voice sharp and uncompromising. "You petition this court for leniency. Yet the record before us shows that you systematically forged state procurement documents, attempted to ruin an innocent professional's life with fabricated medical records, stole fourteen million dollars in docking patents from your ex-wife's deceased father, and buried toxic waste in public waterways."

Drew lowered his head, his shoulders shaking silently.

"Do you have anything to say to this bench, Inmate Halston?" the judge asked.

Drew looked up slowly, his eyes finding the video monitor showing my face. For the first time in seven years, there was no sneer, no manipulation, and no mask of charm. There was only the absolute, soul-crushing recognition of his total defeat.

"I have nothing to say, Your Honor," Drew whispered, his voice completely broken. "I destroyed my own life. I thought I was better than everyone else. I was wrong."

Judge Vance nodded once, closing the court file with a resounding snap that echoed through the speakers.

"Petition for sentence commutation is denied with prejudice," the judge ruled firmly. "Inmate Halston will serve his full twelve-year term without further administrative review. Court is adjourned."

The video screen clicked off, going completely dark.

I sat back in my leather chair, letting out a long, peaceful breath. There was no joy in watching another human being's ruin, but there was an immense, sacred satisfaction in seeing absolute justice served.

Drew Halston would spend the prime years of his youth behind concrete walls, a living testament to the truth that arrogance, cruelty, and deceit will always consume the person who wields them.

Owen walked into the study, placing a cup of warm chamomile tea on my desk, leaning down to press a tender kiss to my lips and resting his warm hand over our unborn baby.