Chapter 697: Bet

"That is an assumption, Michael," his lawyer said. "You have no guarantee that anyone will intervene, and you cannot build your entire expectation around the possibility that somebody will influence the court. I can challenge the prosecution's case where there are proper grounds, and I can present the relevant circumstances on your behalf, but I cannot promise you a particular sentence."

Michael was not ready to abandon his belief. He had spent too many years watching influence change outcomes to accept that it had become useless now. If those people had been serious about protecting themselves, they would understand that keeping him from exposing them was in their interests as well. He did not need them to get him acquitted; he only needed them to ensure that his punishment was not as severe as it might otherwise have been.

When the proceedings resumed, the court dealt with the outstanding legal matters and considered the evidence and submissions relevant to the charges. The prosecution set out the seriousness of the offences established by the record, while the defence presented its arguments concerning Michael's admissions and the extent to which those admissions should count in his favour. His lawyer did not pretend that Michael had done nothing wrong, but he urged the court to distinguish between the offences Michael had acknowledged and any matters that remained unproven.

Michael listened as the arguments were made, trying to judge the likely outcome from the language used by the lawyers and the questions asked by the judge. He had expected the prosecution to be forceful, but he had also expected that his partial cooperation would give the defence something substantial to work with. Instead, the discussion repeatedly returned to the seriousness of the established offences and the limited value of his assistance when he refused to provide further information about other individuals.

For the first time, the possibility that his contacts would fail him became difficult to dismiss. He had expected some sign that the people he was protecting were doing something behind the scenes, even if he would never be told precisely what it was. There had been no clear indication of intervention, and his lawyer had received no information suggesting that anyone was prepared to influence the sentence on his behalf.

Still, Michael clung to the possibility that something might happen before the final decision. He had seen important people wait until the last possible moment before making a call or arranging a private conversation, and he wondered whether the same pattern would repeat itself now. He kept his attention on the proceedings, waiting for some indication that the court might be prepared to show him leniency.

The judge eventually announced that the court had reached its decision on the charges before it. Michael stood beside his lawyer as the findings were read, listening as the judge addressed the evidence, the admissions he had made, and the offences that had been established. The court found him guilty of the serious crimes supported by the evidence, including the financial offences and the other charges on which the required findings had been reached.

His lawyer remained beside him, but Michael could barely follow the words once the judge began explaining the sentence. He had expected a long period of imprisonment, perhaps twenty or thirty years, and had prepared himself for the possibility that he would never return to the life he had known. Even that prospect had seemed survivable if he could retain enough influence to secure favourable treatment and perhaps shorten his time in custody.

The judge explained that the sentence had to reflect the seriousness of the established offences, the harm caused, the evidence before the court, and the relevant sentencing provisions. Michael's admissions had been considered, but they did not erase the extent of his conduct, and his cooperation had not been as complete as his defence might have wished the court to believe. His repeated refusals to answer questions about other individuals were not, by themselves, the basis for the punishment, but the court would not give him credit for assistance he had chosen not to provide.

Then the judge announced the sentence: life imprisonment.

For several seconds, Michael seemed unable to make sense of what he had heard. He looked toward his lawyer, waiting for an explanation that would change the meaning of the words, but his lawyer was already preparing to discuss the available legal options. Michael had imagined a severe punishment, but he had never truly believed the court would go this far. His expectation had been built around the assumption that his admissions and the influence of the people he protected would count for more than they had.

The judge continued with the formal explanation of the decision, but Michael's attention had shifted to the people who had sent him those messages before the hearing. He had kept their names out of his answers because he believed they could help him avoid the worst outcome. Now he had received the sentence he had thought they would prevent, and he had no way to know whether they had failed to act, had never intended to act, or had decided that protecting themselves mattered more than protecting him.

When the proceedings ended, Michael was escorted from the courtroom by the officers responsible for his custody. Reporters called out questions as he passed, asking about the sentence and the people he had refused to name. He kept his head down and said nothing, while his lawyer followed behind and made no public comment about the next steps.

Dayo had watched the decision from the public seating area with Felix beside him. Neither had spoken while the judge delivered the sentence, and Dayo remained still as Michael was taken away. He had known that the evidence against Michael was substantial, and he had expected the court to impose a serious punishment, but the words "life imprisonment" still took a moment to settle in his mind.

Felix waited until the officers had led Michael out before turning toward him. "You thought he would get less than that, didn't you?"

"I thought he would get a long sentence," Dayo replied. "I knew the evidence was enough to put him away, but I thought he would find a way to reduce the damage. He has spent years dealing with people who can make things happen, and he seemed convinced that protecting them would earn him something in return."

Felix glanced toward the courtroom doors, where reporters were still waiting for statements from the legal teams. "Maybe he thought those people would put pressure on someone. He probably believed that if he kept their names out of the case, they would find a way to make the sentence lighter."

"That was what he was counting on," Dayo said. "He admitted what he couldn't deny, gave them information about the things he was willing to discuss, and kept quiet about the people he was afraid of. He must have thought the court would see enough cooperation to give him a chance, while the people he protected made sure he didn't receive the worst outcome."

Felix agreed that the decision had clearly gone against Michael's expectations, but he cautioned Dayo against assuming that they knew what had happened behind the scenes. They had no evidence that anyone had attempted to influence the judge, and they could not know whether Michael's contacts had made any effort to help him. The only thing they could say with certainty was that the court had delivered its decision based on the case before it.

Dayo accepted that. He did not want to invent another explanation simply because Michael's confidence had been so misplaced. The sentence was severe, and the legal process still allowed for whatever further steps Michael's lawyers might properly pursue, but the court had reached its decision and Michael would have to face the consequences.

As they left the courthouse, Dayo thought about Jennifer and the reason he had refused to let his anger decide what should happen to Michael. He had wanted the man held accountable, not an opportunity to destroy him personally or to harm the people around him. The court had done what it was required to do, and Dayo had no intention of interfering with the process now that the result was known.

Felix asked whether Dayo felt that the matter had finally been settled, and Dayo took a little time before answering. "As far as Michael's case is concerned, the court has made its decision. There may still be legal steps after this, but I don't have to keep wondering whether he will be held responsible for what he did. That part is no longer in my hands."

He did not feel the need to celebrate the sentence or explain his feelings to the people outside the courthouse. Michael had expected his connections to protect him, but the people he had tried to shield had not changed the outcome, and the court had imposed a punishment he had never believed he would receive. Dayo walked toward the waiting car with Felix, knowing that Michael's case had reached a new stage, even though the consequences of everything he had done would continue long after that day.