novelThe Trial (6)
| ← Ch.225 | Ch.227 → |
Hans Müller's cold stare was nothing new to David. He knew the man very well—a hawk by nature, very greedy but very hard worker. He wanted what his due was. He liked Rose a lot because she used to reward him frequently for his overtime and for whatever 'gifts' were supposed to be given to the people who mattered in the high offices. When Rose was transferred and Anne came in, Hans Müller was shunted. Anne didn't recognize his work much and expected that he worked like a slave. In the end when he couldn't bear this kind of slavery anymore, he confronted Anne. Obviously Anne shunted him out. This was all done according to Helena's advice. Along with almost fifty officials whom the two women thought might hurt their plans, Hans was also laid off.
"Yes, I know him, " said David."He is Hans Müller. He was laid off from Starfish Refineries a few months back."
"Why was he laid off?" asked Geoffrey.
David went on to elaborate the reason behind throwing fifty workers from the Company.
As the trial proceeded, things started becoming clear. The Company became headless after Luke Wyatt's murder. The two women, the two sex partners were running the Company at their own will and they were least interested in taking it to new heights. They were only engrossed in stealing, leeching its money off to Swiss banks. David was just a customary head who was needed to sign the bills while underneath the whole scenario they were like termites, eating the place, rotting it and leaving it with nothing but crumbs.
The trial was nearing an end. It had taken one full day for most facts to come out. When Geoffrey was over with his questioning, he turned to look at Hertz and said, "You witness now."
Hertz checked his watch. The court was about to get over in fifteen minutes. What could he even ask? "No questions, " he said and closed his files.
They all looked at the judge to give his verdict.
Coombes turned to see David, who appeared extremely tired."You may go back Mr. McDow, " he said.
Davit got up and went back to sit with Rose. He held her hand and squeezed it. Rose was the one who convinced him to meet Dawn and it was the best decision he had ever taken.
Coombes was beyond saturated. There was a lot to process and his shrewd mind had to give the best judgment. For now he said, "The charges against Starfish Refineries need to be proven completely, but whatever has been presented today is enough to give us a glimpse of how shoddily the Company was run. There were too many corrupt practices. A lot was revealed today." He adjusted his glasses on his eyes and took in a deep breath."Ms. Helena and Ms. Anne will be held for contempt of court for a period of seven days. They will be prisoned for trying to escape the courtroom without permission for a period of one month."
Helena and Anne were staring at the judge."We are going to challenge this decision in the higher court!" shouted Anne.
"Another ten days and a penalty of ten thousand dollars for speaking in between!" Coombes said glaring at her with a try-me look.
Anne became quiet, her hands becoming frigid and her mind exploding with anger.
"While they are in the jail, they can seek counsel and fight the case." Coombes steepled his hands and leaned forward."They will be given an additional five years imprisonment for charges of bribery and bid rigging. The Starfish Refineries shall be delisted from the market and the money lost by the investors shall be recovered by auctioning it off to the highest bidder." He gave a cold glare to the two women who looked deathly pale now."You will be serving a lifetime sentence for breaching the trust of your investors."
The crowd was pin drop silent as they watched the judge rolling out his sword of harsh judgment. It was a silent typhoon that was blood curdling. The fear of wrongdoing was palpable. It was the kind of judgment that everyone feared.
Dawn Wyatt was almost shuddering when the ruling was coming out. She had waited for this day for seven years ever since her mother died, ever since Helena entered their house. She had waited impatiently. It was all coming to fruition. She wanted to cry but she choked on her emotions. Daryn could feel her heart. He let a thought slip inside her mental barriers, which were as usually up, 'Be calm love. ' He could feel what all must be going inside her. He wanted to hold her.
"The defendants will be taken into custody with immediate effect and a non-bail able bond of two million dollars is slapped against them!" Coombes banged his hammer on the table after the final judgment.
"No!" Helena shouted."You can't do that. You can't do that." For so many years she had leeched off the Wyatt family. She had directed their money to her banks. She had used both the brother and the sister, used them emotionally and bodily to further her lust for the wealth. And now? Now it was crumbling in front of her. Her palace of illusions was crumbling. She had planned and schemed and planned more, but in the end, she couldn't even use a penny of what she had collected for herself. She looked wildly at Hertz and spat, "You asshole! What have I got you for? You better get me out of it. Now!" She lost her mind, she thought she would go mad.
The policemen came and surrounded the two women."You are hereby taken under custody, " said the main one."You have the right to remain silent and whatever you will speak will be taken against you."
Anne shoved the policeman in front of her and darted to face Dawn. From across the table she lunged for her neck.
Daryn rose to his feet with a snarl and so did other werewolves. Dawn knew that Daryn's instincts would flare up and they were amongst the humans. She raised her hand up to stop him and others.
"You vile! You cunt! You evil! You h—have ruined me. All the money that should have been mine, should have been my daughter's—you have taken it using vicious means. You tricked us. Luke hated you, Clare hated you, and Lily hated you. Then why did you come back?" She rasped like a mad dog. Her hands were tightening on Dawn's nape.
Before the policemen who were struggling to free Dawn from her grip could do much, Dawn raised her hands and slowly removed her hand from her neck by peeling every finger. She got up and gave her a chilly stare.
"I am going to kill you!" shouted Anne.
Dawn slapped her right across the cheek with all the werewolf strength she possessed. Anne reeled, black stars coming her vision and she fell along with two more policemen.
A voice that chilled her to bone came, "Kill me like you killed my father in collusion with Helena?"
The pain burned her skin at the impact. She said in a low voice, "No... I didn't kill Luke... Helena killed him..." and she fainted.
| ← Ch. 225 | Ch. 227 → |