What Ethan uncovered wasn’t just negligence. It was systemic fraud. Crestwood wasn’t merely ignoring safety violations; it was siphoning millions through shell maintenance companies, pocketing state grants meant for infrastructure upgrades, and laundering money through political donors who sat on oversight boards.
And the most damning evidence? Ava found it. Hidden in security backups, unpaid cloud storage no one bothered to secure anymore. Footage of Victor Hale negotiating bribes, threatening whistleblowers, laughing about “scholarship kids” not mattering.
When the final hearing came, the courthouse was surrounded. This time, no one laughed when Ava stood. When the video played, the empire collapsed. Victor Hale was arrested at the table. His donors scattered. Crestwood shut its doors within weeks.
Lydia didn’t become rich. She became free. She opened a small nonprofit for workers who had been told their voices didn’t count. Ava went back to school. But on weekends, she still studied law.
Years later, Judge Branham would admit he almost dismissed the case. He would never forget that moment. The day a child reminded a courtroom what justice was supposed to be.
