Xavier~
"I discovered additional clues about Jordan Lucas." I opened my laptop as I saw her entering her office.
"Mr. Thompson, this murder case is yours, so we must prove your innocence before focusing on Jordan Lucas." She turned on her laptop and started working on it.
Her cold, distant behavior tells me that she is not in a good mood today. I wanted to ask her about the events from last night at her house, but the awkward silence between us made me even more afraid to question her.
"Mr. Thompson, you need to mentally be ready for Derrick Merchant's harsh interrogation. I am pretty sure that he will come to the court well-prepared this time." After spending the last two hours working on her laptop, she broke the silence and gazed directly into my face.
"I understand, but I don't believe he's going to specifically target me this time." I sighed heavily as I thought about Jordan's threat to Bella.
"What do you mean?" She questioned me with confusion.
"I believe he set you up for his taunts, aiming to undermine your trust in this murder case."
I am fully aware of Jordan Lucas's vicious side and his threats, and my intuition tells me that this murder case is going to take a surprising turn based on my experiences. Whoever tried to stand against Derrick Merchant in the case, that lawyer never dared to cross his path again due to his harsh behavior in court, so I am afraid of imagining how she will handle everything alone in the courtroom.
Time passes swiftly, and today marks the second hearing in Alicia's murder case. In the past week, I saw her most reserved side. She emotionally closed off to me and ceased communicating with me outside of case-related matters. While she was with me, she began to avoid her phone calls and instead spoke with her husband. She even stopped talking with Alan in front of me. I am fully aware that I caused a significant incident between her and her husband, which is why her behavior changed completely for me. However, I respected her boundaries and chose to protect her from a distance.
"Miss Luis, are you ready to face me today?" Derrick's confident voice halted us as we entered the courtroom.
Feeling nervous, I tried to steer clear of any controversy outside the courtroom, particularly with the entire media's attention focused on this murder case.
"No, Mr. Merchant; I didn't come here to compete with you, but of course, I am well prepared to uncover the truth." She confidently smiled upon seeing him. Derrick's haughty smile vanished, and a disappointed expression took over his face as he noticed her composed reaction.
"We will see in court who brings the truth in front of the court today." He regarded Bella with a challenging gaze and then glanced at me with a mischievous smile before entering the courtroom.
The judge enters the room to start the court session. We all stood up in his honor, and then the session proceeded with Derrick's allegations against me. Despite my expectation that he would offer a new viewpoint in court, he continues to cling to his antiquated justification for the murder.
What startled me, though, was how he included Bella in the murder case. He not only held her accountable for involvement in this murder case but also opened the secret of our marriage in front of the world. After hearing Derrick Merchant's harsh taunts about her character, I cast an apologetic glance at her.
What astonished me even more was that she sat calmly, bending her head, instead of protesting his statements. Why won't she present the witnesses and evidence that she gathered for the court?
"Miss Luis, don't you feel compelled to speak up in support of your client?" The judge interrogated her while Derrick Merchant concluded his harsh accusations.
"My Lord, I have a few pieces of evidence that I can use to show the court that my client is innocent. However, since my colleague Mr. Merchant brought up our past relationship, I don't think those pieces of evidence were sufficient to clear us of guilt. Nevertheless, I would like to offer a few pieces of evidence to the court." She submitted Alicia's call details and the IMEI number, which Alicia received repeatedly.
I was worried that Bella would lose her composure after hearing Derrick's harsh taunting and insulting remarks about her character, especially considering she is my ex-wife. But I sighed in relief that she didn't react to his bitter words, which he used to provoke her anger so that she lost her sense and made a mistake in anger.
"Miss Luis, whose IMEI number is this?" The judge reviewed the call details and questioned her.
"I need time to search more about it, but according to my client, Mr. Thompson, his wife, has a relationship with another man." She glanced at me before continuing.
"We already know that Alicia and Xavier don't get along, and there's a significant likelihood that she's seeing someone else. In this scenario, he could have killed her and confined my client to get away with it."
I find it very uncomfortable to talk about Alicia's shady behavior in front of the court, but it's an essential step in obtaining the truth. I am relieved that Bella refrained from mentioning Jordan Lucas in this murder case, as it could potentially worsen our situation.
"Miss Luis, we all know the truth—that you both killed Alicia to get her out of his life so you could have your way—so why are you wasting court time by getting everyone involved in the made-up stories?" Once more, Derrick attempted to incite her wrath.
"My Lord, even though I have the witnesses, they have not yet appeared in court, so I need additional time to gather more evidence." She ignored Derrick Merchant and concentrated on asking for an additional hearing date.
"Miss Luis, this is not the appropriate way to present your case in court." The judge appeared perplexed and disappointed in her.
I looked at Derrick's face, a victorious smile playing on it.
"I apologize, my lord, and I acknowledge that this was entirely my fault, but I humbly ask for one last chance to present the evidence in court." She attempted to convince him to extend the hearing date.
After hearing Derrick Merchant's severe claims, I don't think he will prolong the hearing date, especially because Bella doesn't currently have any substantial evidence to support my innocence. As my heart pounded with anticipation, I stared intently at the judge's face, anxious to hear his verdict in this murder case.