When Justice Begins

When Justice Begins
Ashton’s POV

My request for a reinvestigation was officially granted. The case had finally made it to court. I was beyond grateful, this was the answer to a long-awaited pursuit for justice. I had sworn to uncover the truth behind the deaths of my father and brother.

The three founders of the fake foundation were summoned as defendants, while my mother and David Taylor were called as additional witnesses. To be honest, I was nervous. And I could feel Lily was too.

Sitting in that courtroom, surrounded by people who were once part of our inner circle, people who should’ve been our support after we lost everything. It felt like betrayal pressing on my chest.

Judge Brandon opened the hearing with a grave look in his eyes.

“We are opening the trial for case number 347-F concerning embezzlement and organized criminal acts conducted under the fictitious institution known as The Brightmoore Foundation.”
Judge Brandon turned his sharp gaze toward the prosecution bench.

Lily and I exchanged glances. I reached for her hand and held it tightly. She was tense. I could feel it in her grip. So was I. This wasn’t the final chapter yet, but the sound of justice had begun to echo. The truth was rising, and it would soon break through the surface.

“You may proceed, Prosecutor Harper,” Judge Brandon said.

“Your Honor, this case has been reopened upon the formal request of Mr. Ashton Reagan Williams, supported by findings from an independent investigation led by Evelyn Chase, a former federal agent who now works as a private investigator. We intend to prove that the three defendants before you used a fraudulent charity to carry out serious criminal activity, including the suspected premeditated murder of Raymond and Liam Williams.”

Prosecutor Harper’s voice rang loud and clear.
Everyone in the courtroom was silent, the tension hanging thick in the air like a storm about to break.

“Call your first witness,” the judge ordered.

Evelyn stepped forward, carrying a folder and a flash drive.

Prosecutor Harper looked at Evelyn with a knowing weariness in his eyes. He must have seen the toll this case had taken on her.
“Ms. Chase, you investigated the financial transactions of The Brightmoore Foundation, correct?”

“Yes, Your Honor,” Evelyn said clearly. “We found no records of charitable activity since the foundation was established. In other words, there were no actual donations or events. The foundation used the name of childhood cancer survivors as a front to cover illegal operations. What we did find were wire transfers connected to individuals directly involved in the accident that killed Raymond and Liam Williams.”

Her voice was steady. In court, Evelyn radiated the calm, unshakable presence of someone driven by truth.

“Can you specify the amount of money and the recipients?” Harper continued.

“There was a $50,000 transfer to Timothy Cruise, the truck driver who hit the vehicle carrying Raymond and Liam Williams. We have surviving CCTV footage that can be played if the court deems it necessary. There was also a $50,000 payment made to Peter Hamilton, the mechanic who last checked Mr. Raymond’s car before the trip to the auction. Unfortunately, Timothy Cruise passed away two years ago, and Peter Hamilton has been missing ever since the incident. His whereabouts remain unknown.”

Evelyn delivered her findings without hesitation.

The prosecution displayed the evidence: surveillance footage, bank records, and the 990 form filed under The Brightmoore Foundation.
I could feel the tension thickening around the courtroom.
Gasps and whispers echoed quietly as the gravity of what had been uncovered started to sink in.

Everyone was waiting for the hammer to fall.

“Based on your investigation,” Harper asked, “who were the primary controllers of this foundation?”

“Charles Rutherford, the Williams family’s long-time attorney. Miranda Cho, Head of Finance at a Williams Corporation subsidiary. And Noah Greene, David Taylor’s personal assistant.”

Evelyn’s voice didn’t waver.

“The court will now hear responses from the three defendants,” said Judge Brandon.
“Mr. Charles Rutherford, you may speak first.”

Charles Rutherford, the man we had trusted for fifteen years, looked composed—too composed, perhaps.
He stood slowly, his voice calm but guarded.

“Your Honor, I’ve served the Williams family faithfully for over fifteen years. They were more than clients to me. They were family. I would never do anything to harm them.”

He took a deep breath.

“I agreed to collaborate on this foundation with Miranda and Noah, believing it was part of a corporate social responsibility program tied to the Williams Corporation. I had no involvement in the finances or the day-to-day operations.”

Lily and I listened closely. I could see the unease on my mother’s face. Even David Taylor looked rattled.

Miranda Cho was next.

“Yes, I did authorize the transfers on behalf of the foundation,” she admitted. “But I was only following orders from above. I didn’t know who Timothy Cruise or Peter Hamilton were. I didn’t ask questions.”

I turned to my mother. What did she mean—orders from above? Was she referring to my mother? But my mother’s expression didn’t change. She sat still, unreadable. I remained silent, waiting for the final defendant to speak.

Noah, the youngest of the three, looked exhausted.

“I was just a staff member,” he said quietly.
“If carrying out instructions and handing over paperwork makes me a criminal, then nearly everyone in this room is guilty.”

The tension boiled.

Each of them had their version, their excuses, their shields.

If only Timothy were still alive. If Peter could be found. Maybe this trial wouldn’t be so tangled.

Now the witnesses had to speak. I turned my eyes to my mother and David Taylor. Their testimony might be the key to the truth buried three years ago.

Something cracked at the bottom of my heart. The possibility that my mother and Lily’s father might be involved felt like the answer to all my doubts and questions. And yet, I still wished—deeply—that neither of them had anything to do with it.

Lily held my hand. Our eyes met. She didn’t say much, but her gaze always calmed the storm inside me. She knew how heavy today was for me. And like always, she tried to soothe me, to convince me that everything wouldbe okay.