CHAPTER 3 — THE FRAME-UP UNRAVELED
CHAPTER 3 — THE FRAME-UP UNRAVELED
An hour later, everyone remained inside a private conference room at the hotel.
The CCTV footage played across a large monitor.
The first video showed Sophie sitting beside me almost the entire evening.
Coloring on the back of her menu.
Eating cake.
Laughing with another flower girl.
She never went near Preston's table.
Then another camera angle appeared.
The hallway outside the ballroom.
Preston walked past our table while everyone watched the couple on the dance floor.
He picked up Sophie's denim jacket.
Looked around.
Slipped his phone into the pocket.
Then carefully hung the jacket back on the chair.
The room gasped.
My father closed his eyes.
My mother covered her mouth.
But the footage wasn't over.
Another camera showed Preston ripping the heavy oak menu from its stand.
There was no struggle.
No self-defense.
He raised it with both hands...
...and struck an eight-year-old child.
The officer stopped the video.
He didn't need to ask what happened.
Everyone had just seen it.
Preston tried to speak.
"It wasn't supposed to—"
May you like
"Stop," his attorney interrupted quietly.
"Don't say another word."
