Chapter 12 - THE VERDICT BEFORE TRIAL
"Repeat what you just said," Julian commanded, stepping forward, his pen hovering above his pad.
Cassidy swallowed hard, her chest trembling. "Two weeks before Dad died, he told Lydia he was changing his will to remove her completely and place every asset into Meredith’s sole name. He found out she had been siphoning funds from his accounts to fund Sterling’s early shell corporations. That night... Lydia made Dad his evening tea."
My heart pounded violently against my ribs. Memories of my father’s sudden passing five years ago flooded back—the sudden chest pains, the autopsy that was waived because of his preexisting mild hypertension, the haste with which Lydia had his body cremated.
"Did she poison him?" I demanded, my voice shaking with fury.
"I found a vial of digitalis in her cosmetic case three days later," Cassidy cried. "I was nineteen! I didn't understand what it meant until years later! She told me if I ever told a single soul, she would make sure I ended up in an asylum!"
Julian grabbed his cell phone, his face pale. "Detective Reyes needs to hear this right now. If what you're saying is true, Lydia isn't just facing conspiracy to commit assault. She’s facing capital murder."
Cassidy looked directly at me, her eyes pleading for a shred of mercy. "I’ll testify against her, Meredith. I’ll plead guilty to my charges and take whatever sentence the judge gives me. Just... please don't let her get away with killing Dad."
I stood up slowly, looking at the broken girl before me. For the first time, the burning hatred I had carried since the night of the pink cocktail softened into a profound, chilling pity.
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"You will serve your time, Cassidy," I said quietly. "You will pay for what you did to me. But you will tell the truth about our father."
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