Chapter 98

***COURT HEARING***

Today is the court hearing for Elena. Elena was still asleep when she heard a loud noise. “Wake up, Elena. You have to prepare right now,” the voice was authoritative.

She was woken up very early in the morning at dawn to prepare for her court hearing today. The wardens were strict, and she couldn't help but do whatever they asked her to do.

She wished she could get enough sleep because she had been feeling weak and nauseous lately. It had not been good for her.

She hadn't gotten enough rest, even though she slept all night long. She couldn't understand why she felt like that.

After having her bath, she was dressed in red corporate wear, which brought out her curvy figure, and her hair was styled. She sat on the chair and watched them style her hair.

She didn't know if today would be the last day she would be putting on fancy clothes and make-up or if she would regain her freedom. She was just numb and didn't want to think about it too much.

Nicklaus woke up early from his slumber and prepared for the court hearing. He was fully aware that the police had carried out their full investigations and that they had made their final judges.

He couldn't help but wonder what would be of Elena after today’s court hearing. A part of him also thought of convincing his father to drop the charges as he fixed his cufflinks and brushed his hair, looking at his reflection in the mirror.

He had really missed Elena, and he hoped that she would regain her freedom today. He knew that his father would stop at nothing to see her spend the rest of her life in jail, but he had told his father to back down and allow the police to do their job.

He had not been himself since Elena left the house, and he felt guilty for sending her out of his house that night and making his father find out about it.

He walked out of the house without having breakfast, and Irina stood in the hallway watching him as he walked outside. Life in the house had been boring and silent without Elena, and she wished that Elena would regain her freedom and return, but it seemed like she was wishing for the impossible, knowing how powerful the Coleman family is and that they would stop at nothing to bring whoever brought them pain down.

Elena and she had become so close that she was worried about the whole thing. She wanted to see Elena’s face, and she knew that this may be her last chance. She quickly rushed to her quarters and dressed up.

As Elena’s maid and trusted friend, she wanted to be present at the court hearing also.

She wanted to see Elena victorious and conquer because she knew that, deep down, Elena was innocent.

It would be great to see their faces when Elena is proven innocent, and she couldn't wait for that to happen, but she wasn't sure if that was what would happen.

Sarah was dressed in a black long dress and some sunshades. She tried to conceal her legs as she dressed up. The pain relieved her a little bit, and she was so excited because she never wanted to miss the court hearing for anything.

She wanted to see the look on Elena’s face when she would be thrown into jail. She wanted to flaunt her engagement ring for Elena to see it and know that there was no more hope for her.

Zoey woke up very early and dressed up. Her heart had been pounding since last night, but it was very hard for her to get enough rest. She was so worried and hoped that Elena would regain her freedom.

She imagined Elena coming back home, and she would take Elena back to Oregon so that she could start all over again.

Alex didn't even go to sleep last night. He had been surfing and trying to do his findings. He really wanted to win this case for Elena. He called some of his senior lawyers, and they advised him on such cases.

He discovered that one of the evidences of Elena's signing one of the documents revealed that the date and time were the same time that she was at the hospital for a check-up.

That piece of information gave him so much joy. He couldn't contain his excitement. He remembered when she was almost giving up in the middle of the night and he signed.

He was going through her hospital schedule when he came across a familiar date and time. He went back to the case and saw the date and time and her signature.

Immediately he started to do his research. He called the hospital, and they gave him the right date and time. He was so excited that he reached for his phone and gave Zoey a call.

He explained everything about both jubilating. They knew that the piece of information would go a long way in Elena’s case. Eve. If it isn't enough for her to be released.

He knew that they would still need some time to carry out other investigations, and that would buy him enough time to do his own research and investigations.

Everybody dressed up and arrived at the court one after the other. Elena had cried, and she had stopped crying. She had accepted her fate and would take things as they were.

She knew that she didn't have anything to prove since she was caught off guard. She had made up her mind to cope in jail, and she only waited to hear how many years she would be serving in jail terms.

Everybody was seated in court. Sarah was very happy, and she smiled from afar when she saw Nicklaus seated in front.

She hurriedly walked to him and sat close to him. She hugged him and held his hands as the press took countless pictures of them.

Zoey arrived with Alex, and she stared at Sarah and Nicklaus with so much hatred. Their eyes met, and Sarah stylishly raised her left hand to show Zoey her engagement ring.

She felt happy and satisfied that she was rubbing the shame on Elena’s face. Immediately, Elena arrived and sat on the seat next to Alex, her lawyer. She didn't look so happy. Her mood was down, and she just wished they would get this over and done with.

Seeing Nicklaus and Sarah’s faces made her feel like she was suffocating. She didn't want to be in the same room with them.

Nicklaus's jaw dropped when he saw Elena as she walked in. She looked so beautiful, and her skin glowed. She walked to her seat, and her hips swayed from side to side as she walked.

That’s when Nicklaus realised that he missed Elena so much. He took a step forward. He wanted to move to her to hug her and kiss her. He wanted her back. He wished for everything to return to normal, but he felt ashamed.

He stopped in his tracks when he realised that Elena must have developed a hatred for him. His conscience started to judge him.

His eyes and Elena's eyes locked, and he was carried away. He couldn't think about anything else but Elena. He remembered the good moments they used to share, the way her eyes sparkled and her lovely smile. His eyes were dark, and he pressed his lips in a thin line, feeling embarrassed.

Sarah noticed how Nicklaus stared at Elena, and it made her scream in her head. She was flabbergasted with the whole thing, and it made her hate Elena more. Her joy was that Elena was already behind bars, no matter how many lawyers came to defend her.

She quickly looked for something to take away Nick’s attention from Elena. She winced in pain and closed her eyes. Nicklaus turned to her; his eyes scanned her body, and she went further to ask her.

“What's wrong, Sarah? Are you okay?” he asked. She quickly stepped on her ankle and winced in pain.

She hid her injury and prevented Nicklaus from finding out because she wanted to use it against him after the fourth hearing.

“Yes, I am doing well. Just my stomach hurt,” she spoke. “Can you hold my hands?” she asked politely as if she were innocent.