The Million-Dollar Heart

Jerry felt a jolt run through him. As much as he hated to admit it, Percival's point was hard to ignore. Back in the day, Vince was
probably cornered by Harrison into giving false testimony, then turned himself in out of fear of Harrison's retaliation. What Jerry
hadn't seen coming was Vince's continued allegiance to Harrison, even after a decade behind bars.
"Frank insisted on adding an excessive amount of herbs to the formula against my advice," Vince spoke softly, yet his words
reached everyone in the room clearly. "That led to the tragic incident when one of the herbs failed to synergize, causing the
disaster."
Head bowed, fingers nervously picking at the calluses on his hands, Vince continued, "Frank had good intentions; he never
meant for anyone to get hurt. It's my fault. I should have stopped him, even if it mean risking my job. Then, we wouldn't be in this
mess."
Kaitlyn couldn't sit still any longer. Standing up abruptly, she accused, "You're lying! Vince, my dad treated you well. How could
you betray him like this?"
"The development and proposal of the new product were your and Harrison's doing! My father never objected to your plans!"
Pulling out a USB drive, Kaitlyn added, "This contains videos from the meeting rooms and labs back then. My dad never once
raised concerns about Vince's research."
"He even praised Vince's competence to my mom several times at home."
She then produced a diploma from Frank Littleton's archives. "My father was a distinguished PhD student from Veridia Medical
University. How could he not know about the adverse interaction between those two herbs? Vince, accusing him like this is an
insult!"
Harrison's lawyer, Bill, scoffed at the accusations. "This only proves Frank had ill intentions from the start. If he was so sure of
the medicine's ineffectiveness, why didn't he test it on himself instead of opting for suicide?"
The online community was divided, with the live stream comments reflecting a wide range of opinions.
Jerry's cool gaze swept the courtroom, "Bill's remarks are disgraceful to the legal profession, sounding no better than online
trolls."
"Did the Littleton family not wish to appeal? Each of their appeals was dismissed by the court."

The evidence screen in the courtroom displayed the dismissed petitions, "I wonder what power Harrison had to accomplish this.
A man proven innocent, yet denied the chance to appeal? Bill, does that seem fair to you?"
The jury, including Gavin who was nearly sixty but with excellent eyesight, noticed the signature on the petitions. Gavin's voice
wavered, "It was the Littleton family's fault. Even a hundred trials would lead to the same outcome. The court isn't just for the
Littleton family; it's for the justice of all."
Vivienne, with a clear gaze, retorted, "So, the Littleton family aren't considered common folk? And I see the signer shares your
surname. Any relation?"
Sophie interjected, "Just because someone shares our last name doesn't mean they're related to us!"
The judge called for order as the courtroom erupted in murmurs.
.ne
Vivienne smiled, "Of course, there's more evidence. We request the testimony of the Littleton family's company shareholders and
the
scientists involved in the research."
As tension rose, Harrison's facade of calmness cracked slightly, while Vivienne and others awaited the entrance of the key
witnesses.
The courtroom door creaked open, and aged scientists walked in, followed by officers, marking a pivotal moment in the trial.
The moment their faces flashed across the screen, the online chat exploded with surprise and disbelief.
"Wait, a professor from the Elite University Hospital?"
"The Dean of the College of Pharmacology at Havenwood University?"
"Oh my God! These guys, they all came from the Littleton family? Then, how could the Littletons have been involved in those
harmful scandals back in the day?!"
One by one, the crowd recognized them. Some of these faces were regulars on TV, well-respected figures whose names even
those outside of the industry could recall.

Harrison's eyes narrowed, his grip tightening as his lips pressed into a thin line. His gaze was glued to those familiar faces, many
of whom he had consulted in the past. They were the backbones of the Littleton family, steadfast even when the family's fortune
crumbled. They had refused the Schram family's offers to join them.
Instead, they left the pharmaceutical world behind to become renowned academics.
When the court summons arrived, Harrison had considered reaching out to them. But he knew their stubborn streak all too well.
No matter how much he offered it wouldn't be enough to sway them.
Kaitlyn, no, Vivienne what on earth did she do to persuade them to step back into the fray?