Chapter 202After the recess, the court reconvened. Judge Hart took her seat and called the court to order. "We will now hear from the defense. Barrister. Bennett, please present your evidence.”Barrister Bennett Coleman stood up. "Your Honor, I call Lieutenant Jones to the stand."Lt. Jones walked to the stand, was sworn in, "Your Honor, I want to present my case," Lt. Jones began, standing confidently as he addressed the court, adjusting his uniform.He looked directly at the judge before continuing. "General Arnold informed me that James Clarkson was being wrongly accused and arrested by the ESU agents. As the military, we had no option but to intervene and prevent the arrest from happening."The judge leaned forward, her interest piqued. "Lieutenant Jones, could you elaborate on the circumstances that led to the military's involvement?"Lt. Jones nodded. "Certainly, Your Honor. On the day in question, we received a direct order from General Arnold. He had credible information sugg
Chapter 203Williams sat at one corner of the court as the proceedings went on. He wore a black suit and had come to witness everything firsthand.Beside him was Mr. Sterling, dressed in a gray suit with a straight face. They had come under the guise of concerned EMC employees, but unknown to everyone, they were the masterminds behind the entire ordeal.Williams had orchestrated the whole thing and had the ESU agents under his thumb, all to ensure the success of their operation.Before his arrival to town, the ESU had been an incorruptible organization, focused solely on investigation without a hint of corruption. But when Williams came into town, everything changed. Months ago, when James had gotten Jaxon and Henry Carl arrested for mistreating him, Williams had found a way to exploit the situation. With just a few strategic hacks, he managed to gather incriminating information on the director of the ESU, Donald Duke—known as Triple D. The blackmail began, and soon enough, Triple D
Chapter 204James' mind raced with possibilities, his heart pounding loudly as the judge prepared to read the verdict.He glanced around the courtroom and noticed Mr. Sterling and Williams. Their demeanor suggested they expected him to be found guilty, but the proceedings seemed to be leaning in his favor. Still, judges could be unpredictable.With the drama that Kate just pulled earlier on, and the gaslighting, James was doubtful.Closing his eyes, he hoped for a favorable outcome. Kate's dramatic outburst and the resulting gaslighting left him doubtful.The murmuring crowd fell silent, waiting for the judge's verdict. Judge Hart opened the document and began, "After thorough examination of the evidence presented by the plaintiff, it has been determined that the evidence is fabricated and lacks authenticity. Therefore, in this case, the defendants are not guilty."Just as the judge said that, there was murmuring in the crowd and an uproar.Mr. Andal, the court clerk, had to call the
Chapter 205As Liam and Kai walked briskly towards their car, Liam couldn't contain his curiosity. He glanced at Kai, seeking validation. "How did I do, addressing Eric?" he asked, his voice a mix of anticipation and uncertainty.Kai looked at him, his usually stern face softening into a smile. "You did great, Liam. You handled it perfectly," he said, giving Liam a reassuring pat on the back. "You were assertive without being aggressive, and you made sure Eric knew you meant business."Liam felt a surge of pride at Kai’s words. "Really? I was worried I might have overstepped," he admitted, opening the car door and sliding into the driver's seat.Kai shook his head as he got in on the passenger side. "Not at all. You were firm but fair. Eric needed to understand the gravity of our agreement, and you made sure he did."Liam nodded, starting the car and pulling out of the parking lot. "I just wanted to ensure we have leverage. We can't afford to be lenient."Kai adjusted his seatbelt, tu
Chapter 206Kate flagged down a taxi and climbed in, still seething from her expulsion from the courtroom. As the driver started the engine, he glanced at her through the rearview mirror.“Where to, ma’am?” he asked politely.“Just drive,” Kate snapped, glaring out the window.The driver, a middle-aged man with a kind face, sighed but started driving.Inside the car, she was cussing and hissing at no one in particular.Thoughts of revenge on the judge and also on James flooded her head."They'll surely pay for all this, I swear it," she muttered. "If it wasn't for that foolish husband of mine who sheepishly put all that money in that cursed scam, would I be facing this humiliation?”The driver realized she was having a bad day but decided to ignore her and be silent.But after a few moments of tense silence, he tried to make small talk.“Rough day, huh?” he said, hoping to lighten the mood.“You have no idea,” Kate muttered. “Just keep your eyes on the road and drive, scumbag.”The dr
Chapter 207Inside, Kate saw Alisha sitting on the couch, watching TV in the living room. Without a word, she stormed up to the TV and pushed it off the stand. The screen shattered with a loud crash, sending shards of glass and plastic across the floor."Mom, what the hell are you doing?" Alisha screamed, jumping up from the couch, her eyes wide with shock."What am I doing? What am I doing?" Kate's voice was a mix of rage and sarcasm. "I’m teaching you a lesson, that’s what I’m doing!"Alisha stepped back, her hands trembling. "Why are you so angry? What happened?"Kate pointed a shaking finger at Alisha, her face contorted with fury. "What happened? I'll tell you what happened! I just got humiliated in court, that's what! All because of your useless father and his stupid decisions!"Alisha tried to calm her down. "Mom, please, sit down and let’s talk about this. Breaking things won't help."Kate ignored her and started pacing the room, her hands clenched into fists. "Talk? What good
Chapter 208Just then, Alisha's phone began to ring. She glanced at the screen and saw that it was Liam Carter calling. At first, she decided not to pick up, but when the phone began to ring again, she changed her mind.She picked up the phone, quickly rushed down to her room, and shut the door behind her, trying to block out her mom's yelling."Hello?" Alisha answered, her voice still shaky from sobbing.“Hey, Alisha. How're you?” Liam asked.“I'm fine.” She replied, her voice shaky.Liam noticed her shaky voice and also heard the background noise from the other end."Alisha? What's going on? Are you okay?" Liam's concerned voice came through the phone."Yea, I'm fine," she tried to say, but her voice betrayed her, yet again."Your voice doesn't sound fine," Liam insisted. "Tell me what's really wrong.""It's nothing serious," she lied. "Just a little quarrel with my mom, that's all." She tried to cheer herself up by changing her tone, forcing a smile even though Liam couldn't see it
Chapter 209"And who were you on the call with?" Kate demanded, her eyes narrowing.Alisha hesitated, then lied, "I called the police to come and intervene since you won't calm down."Kate's face turned red with fury. "You called the police on your mother?" she screamed. Without warning, she slapped Alisha hard across the face. "Can you imagine? Henry, your sister called the police on me!"Henry, who was just coming inside, froze in his tracks. "What? No! Police? Are they here?" he asked, his voice trembling with fear.Henry was frightened because the police were looking for him. Unknown to his family, Henry and a group of boys had planned and robbed a bank in Emerald Falls. This explained why he had been away from home for months, coming and going sporadically.Unfortunately for them, the police had been able to investigate and declared them suspects. They had been searching for them everywhere, and Henry had decided to come back home to hide from the police.Now that his sister had