Filed to story: The CEO’s Wife Is a Secret Boss Novel (Allison & Jeremy) Free Online
Jeremy held his tears back and forced a smile. “Grandpa, we’re at the court as the audience. We’re not taking the SATs. Why would you buy us these gifts? Anyway, thanks. We’ll win the case.”
Sophia Kirkman’s case was brought to court under intense public scrutiny and anticipation.
Early in the morning, Mrs. Rosie changed into a new and clean outfit. She went to the cemetery with a bunch of fresh lilies and placed the flowers in front of Anne’s headstone.
Then, she sat cross-legged on the floor, placing an iPad in front of her and making sure it faced Anne’s smiling photo.
“Madam, your darling son and daughter-in-law are seeking justice for you. That evil bitch Sophia Kirkman will finally receive her payback.”
While polishing Anne’s photo, tears welled up in Mrs. Rosie’s eyes. She said, “Jeremy and Alyssa will visit you after the trial. Before that, I’ll keep you company as we watch them in court.”
Mrs. Rosie picked up a whiff of lily scent, like a silent answer.
Although Sophia’s representation had requested a private trial, the court rejected their application due to insufficient grounds. The case would proceed as a public trial instead.
Despite the influence of the Walsh Group and Sophia’s esteemed status, after careful consideration, the court denied the application due to the public impact of the case and the fact that it did not meet the criteria for a private trial. The court had decided to proceed with the trial as usual to avoid damaging the court’s reputation and integrity.
The media flooded the entrance to the court in the morning. Reporters from various media live- streamed the proceedings due to the tremendous public interest in the case.
At that moment, a black sedan sped down the road and rolled to a stop by the stairs. Simon, who had laid low for a while, appeared in the public eye in a smart-looking suit. The reporters immediately swarmed him.
“Mr. Lynch, how confident are you in winning the case for Sophia Kirkman on behalf of the Walsh Group?”
Simon smiled with a hint of arrogance. “I have never lost a legal case before.” In other words, he was confident of his victory. However, he seemed to have forgotten about the various times he had lost against Alyssa and Jeremy.
“Mr. Lynch, you were hired by the Walsh Group to bail out Sophia Kirkman when she was arrested for drug use, but you failed to bail her out until now. Does that mean you are at a disadvantage in this case?”
The smile on Simon’s face froze, and he silently clenched his fists.
Simon’s assistant immediately explained, “Ladies and gentlemen, we might have taken on Mrs. Walsh’s case per the Walsh Group’s request, but by the time we worked on it, there was already incriminating evidence against her. We couldn’t do anything about it, so¡ª”
“Do you mean that Mr. Lynch could have gotten her out of trouble if she sought legal help earlier, even if she was guilty of drug use?” A reporter posed a pointed question at Simon out of his strong distaste for the attorney.
Many of the court reporters had long disapproved of Simon, the greedy and obnoxious attorney. They knew he was no good under his seemingly gentlemanly facade.
Simon snickered. “My dear friend, I am just an attorney. Please do not make me the bad guy. Both the plaintiff and the defendant have their right to legal representation under the law.
“No matter who my client is, and no matter what the nature of the case is, I have to fulfill my responsibility to defend them. Besides, today’s trial is related to another case involving Mrs. Walsh, which I am confident in winning.”
The reporter retorted, “So, Mr. Lynch, are you confident you can let Sophia Kirkman off scot-free from the contract killings?”
Looking amused, Simon wagged his finger casually at the reporter. “To defend a client, I will need to give her my full trust. There is no ‘letting her off scot-free’ when she’s innocent to begin with.”
Soon, another sedan halted beside his car. To everyone’s shock, Sean appeared from the second car.
He said to someone else, “Madam, watch out.”
Nina’s grandmother, Gemma Pell, slowly got out of the car in her walking stick with Sean’s help.
Some reporters gasped, “It’s the plaintiff’s attorney and family!” They recognized Gemma due to her action of splashing hot soup at Sophia at Nina’s funeral, an incident still highly discussed.
“The plaintiff’s attorney looks familiar… Gosh, isn’t he Ms. Alyssa’s secretary?” a reporter exclaimed while pointing a finger at Sean.
“You’re right! I can’t believe that he’s an attorney. Ms. Alyssa’s employees are talented indeed.”
The group of reporters went up to Sean. He did not need to do anything to attract all attention away from Simon.
Meanwhile, Simon’s eyes wavered in shock as his blood froze. He had repeatedly sent people to ask around about the identity of his opponent in court, but he failed to get any information despite his extensive connections.
He was shocked to find Sean as the attorney who took on Nina’s case.
“A-Attorney Lynch, what do we do?” Simon’s assistant, who was uninformed about Simon and Sean’s relationship, gasped in surprise.
“Hmph! He’s biting off more than he could chew!” hissed Simon through gritted teeth. “He might be a top student of Solana City College of Law and holds a practicing license, but so what? He’s been working as the Taylors’ lapdog forever and has never attended court. I bet he’s forgotten about the procedure. We don’t have to worry about him.”
Simon believed that Alyssa had made such an arrangement to spite him. He thought, “You dumb bitch. I’ll teach Sean a lesson in court!”
Simon was about to leave when Sean said, “Simon, my dear brother!”
Sean had put Gemma under the care of the bodyguard and approached Simon with a cold look. His action dropped a bombshell, as no one knew he and Simon were brothers. The two brothers would clash in the court¡ªone seeking justice for the victim while the other seeking to clear the charges for a tycoon’s wife.
The reporters braced themselves for the dramatic event, one which clearly showed the difference in the siblings’ moral character.
Simon clenched his jaw in resentment as his archenemy closed in. Sean had deliberately revealed their relationship to mock him.
Simon began, “I might be your brother, but everyone is equal¡ª”
“…before the law. I’m not asking you to go easy on me because I know you very well. You show no mercy, not even to your family,” Sean cut him off with a calm smile. “As Nina Carle’s attorney, I will do my best to make Sophia Kirkman, the murderer, pay for her crime.”
Gemma, covering her face, sobbed in angst and grief upon hearing Nina’s name. The reporters, moved by Gemma’s emotions, harbored growing resentment against Simon.
“Oh, a murderer, you say? What makes you say so?”
Simon refuted with a fake smile, “Jeffrey Snyder is Nina Carle’s murderer. He was caught at the scene and admitted to it. Mrs. Walsh is unfairly accused of the crime, and I’m here to clear her name.”
Sean merely scoffed at Simon’s remark. “So, are you saying that the authorities are wrong to arrest a woman who is involved in corruption, abuse of power, slander, and framing others for her crime? She’s also a drug user, you know.”
“That’s just a red herring. Mrs. Walsh has made some mistakes that don’t warrant a harsh punishment. Besides, she has not murdered anyone. She will admit to the crimes she has committed, but she will not be unfairly blamed. She has no reason to take the blame for the murder all because you want to settle personal grudges.”
Frowning, Sean fell into silence. He was wary not to get into a squabble with Simon, for he’d only give Simon the chance to insult Alyssa.
The reporters fixed their hateful gazes on Simon as anger simmered. They silently cheered Sean on.
Half an hour before the trial commenced, Simon was granted one more chance to speak to Sophia.
Sophia seemed to be in excellent condition in the meeting room despite wearing a prisoner’s outfit and being handcuffed. She had carefully styled her hair for the occasion. Although she was behind bars, she never failed to adhere to her beauty regimen.
Under the Walsh Group’s protection, she managed to live with dignity as Mrs. Walsh. Knowing that Javier had not fully given up on her, she dared not slack off. She even went on a strict diet and ate very little just to maintain her figure to appeal to him.
She was confident she’d make a comeback if she could walk free. She knew she was capable of winning Javier’s heart the way she stole him from Anne 25 years ago.
Her eyes lit up at the thought as she pleaded urgently, “Mr. Lynch, you need to clear my name no matter what and get me out of here. I can offer you anything you want as long as I get my freedom.
“How about you become the Walsh’s son-in-law? I’ll marry my daughter to you. Once you’re part of our family, you no longer have to fear the Taylors. Your brother¡ªthe Taylors’ lapdog¡ªwill not pose a threat to you.”
Simon was unbothered by her suggestion. He had never taken Sean seriously anyway. Still, he found the status of the Walsh’s’ son-in-law an attractive offer.
Betty might be known as an evil dimwit, but that did not matter if marrying her could make him part of the high society. Betty might be vile, but he would outdo her.
Simon cleared his throat and lowered his voice, saying, “Mrs. Walsh, this will be our last conversation before the trial, so be honest and tell me everything.
“We’re looking at the contract killing charges in this trial. Jeffrey Snyder ratted you out, but thankfully, he only had witness testimony going for him. There is no solid evidence. So, we stand a chance of turning this around.
“Tell me the truth. How did you get Jeffrey to carry out the murder?”
“I arranged for Betty, my daughter, to carry it out. I did not show up at any point!” Sophia snitched on Betty without hesitation.
“Okay… But you tried to silence Jeffrey Snyder by sending an assassin after him, so he has a grudge against you. I don’t think he’ll bring up Betty’s name. He will still try to get you incriminated.”
Sophia asked, “Isn’t one of the judges your brother? Didn’t you talk to him for a lenient sentence?”
“Oh, Steven is a puritanical man. I discussed this with him in private and tried to gain his favor, but he did not promise me anything. We can’t bank on him.”
Then, Simon lowered his voice and added, “I need to know something else. Are you only involved in Nina Carle’s murder? Any other cases that I do not know of?”
Hearing that, Sophia felt as if she was struck by lightning. A shiver ran down her spine when she recalled the contorted expression on Anne’s face as the latter lay in a pool of blood.
The gory and bloody scenes from Anne’s death haunted Sophia. Suddenly, Sophia’s scream pierced the air. Drenched in sweat, she quivered with pale lips.
“Mrs. Walsh, are you alright?” Sensing something was amiss, Simon inquired in shock.
“I-I’m fine.” She curled her fists under the table and forced herself to stop thinking about Anne.
“Mrs. Walsh, you have not answered my question.” Simon repeated, “You need to be frank with me on whether or not you’re involved in other murders. This is crucial for me to defend you in court.
“You know very well that Alyssa and Jeremy will take advantage of the death of a maid to attack you until you’re done for. They will try their best to look into your past and submit unfavorable evidence against you in court. All these are plausible.”