CH.40

"Mr. Montgomery, I'm afraid there's been a grave mistake of some kind," came the voice of a woman - the county clerk. "Ms. Bolting's name is indeed registered with her parents listed as the official witnesses and guarantors for the marriage contract. However...there is no name listed whatsoever for her intended spouse. The other party's signature line is simply...blank."

The clerk's voice trembled with a combination of confusion and outright curiosity as she continued. "I cannot simply add your name to that document. That would be highly unethical at best and very likely an illegal falsification of an official government record. I'm sorry, but I absolutely cannot do that under any circumstances."

There was a pause that seemed to stretch on interminably before Alex's smooth, cultured tones came through the speakers.

"Listen very closely, you pathetic little bureaucrat. You're going to find a way to make my marriage to Serena Bolting officially registered and legally binding, or I'll systematically expose each one of your tawdry little affairs and indiscretions to your clueless, unsuspecting husband. Maybe I'll even tell the poor bastard that those snotty, obnoxious brats he thinks are his own children don't actually belong to him at all." He sounded cold, threatening, and utterly devoid of any human warmth.

The recording fell into a stunned, horrified silence that stretched on for several agonizing seconds before the clerk's voice returned with barely concealed terror. "W-what...what do you want from me, Mr. Montgomery? Please, I'm begging you, don't do this..."

A harsh chuckle, utterly devoid of any mirth, crackled through the speakers.

"Have my marriage to Serena Bolting officially registered and certified by the state immediately. Do that one simple task for me, and your perfectly curated, comfortably numb life stays intact. Refuse..." Alex let the threat hang in the air like a guillotine blade.

Jenkins stopped the recording at that point, his face set in granite hard lines and his eyes blazing with righteous fury.

"This audio proof, combined with Ms. Bolting's own testimony about being drugged and rendered completely incapacitated against her will, clearly shows Mr. Montgomery's criminal intent to entrap her through coercion, manipulation, and outright blackmail. His utter disregard for ethics, morality, and the sanctity of marriage itself is unconscionable."

He leveled his piercing gaze at Serena once more, his expression softening ever so slightly.

"Does this new evidence help to clarify or jog your memory at all, Ms. Bolting? About the true circumstances surrounding your purported marriage to this...individual?"

Serena could only stare back at Jenkins, rendered utterly mute by the deluge of shock, revulsion, hatred, and a thousand other roiling emotions that welled up inside her like a violent storm.

This whole time, her entire relationship with Alex - everything she thought she had known and felt for him - had been nothing more than an elaborately orchestrated lie, steeped in malice and self-interest from the very beginning.

The sheer, mind-numbing scale of the deception was almost too much for her to fully process at that moment.

How could one person be so utterly devoid of conscience or basic human decency? What unfathomable depths of darkness dwelled within someone's soul to enable such reprehensible acts?

Jenkins seemed to sense the whirlwind battering her psyche. "Ms. Bolting, I understand this is an immense amount of information to process, especially given its highly personal nature. But I must impress on you the seriousness and legal implications of these revelations." his expression remained patient and understanding as he spoke once more.

He gestured to the damning audio recording that had just played. "As you have now heard directly, Mr. Montgomery employed underhanded tactics, outright blackmail, and potentially criminal means to force your marriage registration through official state channels against your will and without your knowledge or consent. An act that, by all governing laws and legal precedents, should render the entire purported union null and void from its very inception." his voice took on a harder edge.

Serena's mouth felt as dry as cotton, her tongue like lead weight. She licked her lips in a subconscious stall for a time as she struggled to find her voice amid the storm of emotions battering her consciousness.

"You're saying...my marriage to Alex was never actually valid in the eyes of the law?" she asked at last, hating how small and lost she sounded to her own ears. "That it was all...an illegitimate sham from the very start?"

She vaguely recalled Jenkins having mentioned this potential outcome earlier, but to have it laid out in such stark, undeniable reality still landed like a physical blow to her core.

"Precisely," Jenkins affirmed with a somber nod. "Which significantly strengthens your legal stance in these divorce proceedings, Ms. Bolting. You've been the victim of an insidious, multifaceted deception and manipulation on a grand scale by an individual with clear sociopathic tendencies."

His eyes bored into hers with an intensity that brooked no argument or equivocation. "The question that remains is - what do you intend to do about it? How will you seek justice and recompense for these grievous wrongs committed against you?"

Serena's gaze darted almost involuntarily toward the judge's bench. The man was still regarding the proceedings with an inscrutable mask, but she could have sworn she detected a fleeting flicker of something primal and dangerous lurking in those fathomless eyes.

The judge cleared his throat and then glanced nervously at Judge Grayson beside him. “In the light—” The judge began but was cut off by none other than Beast himself.

“Get straight to the verdict!” He spoke in that gravelly way he had, breaking the hypnotic spell Serena was monetarily thrown into as effectively as a bucket of ice water.

Serena was startled, blinking rapidly as she was jolted back to the moment.

The preceding Judge nodded like a lizard. "Based on the evidence and testimony presented today, I declare that Ms. Serena Bolting is cleared of all charges related to the alleged murder of Miss Diana Delaney. The court is giving Mr. Alexander Montgomery a two-month deadline to provide additional evidence supporting his accusations against Ms. Serena Bolting. If he fails to do so, he will be charged with the murder of Miss Diana Delaney. Furthermore, I hereby grant the petition for annulment of this marriage."

He paused to let that statement sink in before bringing his gavel down with a resounding bang that reverberated through the hushed courtroom. "The purported marriage between Ms. Serena Bolting and Mr. Alexander Montgomery is hereby declared null and void from its very inception based on fraud and coercion. Additionally, I grant the defendant the right to demand compensation from the accuser for the losses caused by his false accusations!!"

The Judge turned to his superior, as if to ascertain whether the ice block was satisfied with his verdict. However, he was taken aback when he realized the latter had risen from his seat and was descending the elevated platform.

A weight lifted off Serena's shoulders as the words washed over her. It was finally over - the lies, the betrayal, the constant fear of what awful revelation might come next. She was free!

A harsh scrape of wood against the tile made her flinch.

Alex had shot to his feet, his face red with barely contained rage. "This is outrageous! I'll not stand for this mockery of justice!"

A chilling sensation surged through Alex as if he were standing in the path of an icy wind. It was triggered by the intimidating aura radiating from the man who had just glided past him. The sheer force of this aura caused Alex to stumble slightly, his usually confident demeanor faltering under its potent influence.

Meanwhile, Serena's eyes were instinctively drawn to this same man. His presence was like a magnetic pull, impossible to overlook or disregard. He carried himself with such an air of authority and power that it demanded attention and respect from everyone around him.

Her gaze lingered on his retreating figure until he finally disappeared behind a set of grand wooden doors. Even so, his lasting impact was evidence of his compelling personality and indisputable charisma.

Jenkins rose smoothly. "I'd advise you to bite your tongue, Mr. Montgomery, lest you dig yourself into an even deeper hole."

His voice was controlled but carried an undercurrent of menace. "You've been exposed as the manipulative, vindictive scoundrel you truly are. Any further outbursts will only reinforce that truth to the court."

Serena watched as Alex and his lawyer stormed out of the courtroom, seething in impotent anger.

She finally allowed herself a small, relieved smile. For once, the wicked had been firmly put in their place.

She had won!