“No more questions, your honor,” I said with a satisfied smile and then returned to my chair.
Closing arguments followed after that. The prosecutor denied everything that I had claimed, but my evidence was too strong. His attempts were weak, and even he knew it. When the prosecutor sat down, he knew he had lost.
I got up from my chair, delivering my closing argument. I didn’t berate the woman much; after all, she was frail, and the jury was sympathetic towards her. Instead, I drew attention to how women were often wrongly implicated in such cases simply because they are women. I talked about the injustice and pain my client had gone through, suffering after the loss of the man she loved, and then, instead of being allowed to grieve, she was thrown into court.
I talked about how, in our anger and hate, we often forget how much we are hurting others, and that is what the accuser had done. I said all this and a lot more before finally returning to my chair.
The jury deliberated all of their minutes. They came back with the verdict of not guilty, and Mrs. Durrick was once again a free woman.
Chapter 7
Secret Ring
Hillary Beck
Isnuck into his office, silently cursing myself. I was supposed to have finished getting all the documents together an hour ago. He had a meeting that day, and he had insisted that everything was finished before he came back from the court. Of course, it was just my luck that I had left one of the most crucial documents in his office. I knew that I wasn’t allowed in there when he was not around, which was why he had asked me to make sure that I collected everything I needed before he left.
Surprise, surprise…I missed the most important one. I looked around the empty office and then crept towards his desk. I silently slid out the drawer, hoping Mrs. Payne wouldn’t show up. I picked up the file I needed, feeling hopeful that I would be out of there without anyone finding out. A box fell out as I took the file, and I bent down to pick it up. I placed it back, but curiosity won over. I looked around once more, and making sure that I truly was alone, I opened it. Inside it sat one of the most beautiful rings I had ever seen. I gasped at the size of it. I couldn’t help but marvel at its beauty.
Who could it be for?Did he love someone?
He didn’t have a girlfriend as far as anyone knew. All the single girls at the firm flirted with him, and I had heard them talking about how he was single. Some suggested he may like men.But I knew it wasn’t true.
Then whatever could it be?What was the meaning of this?And why did I feel so disappointed all of a sudden?
The sound of footsteps shook me out of my reverie, and I quickly stuffed the ring back in the box. I slid the drawer shut, picked up the file I needed, and made my way towards the door. But it was too late. The footsteps were getting louder and louder. I couldn’t get out of there anymore. I looked around the room, filled with panic.
Fudging fuck! Fuck!
My eyes fell on the heavy curtains covering his tall windows, and the moment the door opened, I managed to hide behind them.
My heart was in my throat as I stood there, trying not to make a noise. I could hear him talking to someone, giving instructions about the day’s meeting. I tried not to make a sound, praying that he would leave so I could get out of there. My heart was throbbing so fast that I felt as if it would explode out of my chest.
The man he was talking to left, and now, it was just him and me. I could hear him pacing around the room, talking on his phone. I breathed a sigh of relief. He didn’t know I was there. I just had to wait for him to leave, and I could get out.
Suddenly the curtain was pulled open, and before I knew it, I found myself staring into his darkening green eyes.
“I’m sorry!” I stammered. “I wasn’t snooping! I just needed the document for the Janson meeting—”
I moved to show him the document I had come for, but my luck once again came into action, and I tripped over the curtain and fell against him. He grabbed my arm, catching me before I landed on the floor. He pulled me forward with a jerk, and the next thing I knew, my face was only an inch away from his. For a minute, the two of us just looked at each other. I could feel his strong, muscular chest under my hands as I clutched his shirt for support. I could smell him, and I could feel his body pressed against mine.
My body was alight with desire and want. I craved him to touch me. I wanted him to move his hand and trace my back and my waist. And yet, he continued to stare at me intently. His gaze was so powerful that I could feel shivers running down my spine. My stomach knotted, and my heartbeat increased even further. I could feel my heartbeat down in my core as he continued to stare at me.
He raised a finger and placed it under my chin, making me look up and into his eyes.
Why did I feel so weak?Why did I feel like I would collapse?Why did he make me feel so flushed and flustered?
Just then, as suddenly as he had grabbed me, he let go of me. I fell back, steadying myself.
“Did you find what you need?” he asked, his voice hoarse.
“Yes,” I stammered. “I have everything ready for your meeting with Janson today. If you want to review it—”
“Don’t you want to know how the case went?” he asked, cutting me off.
“The case?” I said. I suddenly remembered the Mrs. Durrick case I had helped him with and said, “Yes, of course! I want to know!”
“I won,” he said simply. “You had a role in what happened, and you will receive a bonus for your efforts. I am glad to see that you are not as useless as I initially thought. Though your recent failure to collect the required documents – when I’ve reminded you repeatedly to ensure you have everything – makes me think it was just a coincidence. Have you prepared my coffee?”
