“Well, are you done reading?” Cameron asked, exasperated.[Yes, but I don’t understand… the first page is the pardon, but what are the other pages for?]“That’s why I told you to stop reading things you don’t understand and sign already.”[Not so fast; don’t you remember what I told you?]“What are you talking about?”[I’m not signing anything until you give me what you promised.]“First, sign…”[Then, no.]“Hey, you,” Caroline spoke, drawing everyone’s attention. “Kid, shouldn’t you say something about this? This lawyer is doing something illegal right now.”“Uh…” Judge Hunter looked a bit nervous.“As far as I know, a pardon shouldn’t be conditional upon receiving something in return, because that’s what a pardon is for,” Caroline stressed, crossing her arms.“Oh… well, that…”“Shut up, woman, don’t talk about things you don’t know,” Cameron said, annoyed. “And look, to stop you from crying, here it is,” he declared, looking at Deborah while pulling out a gold keychain wi
"Jeremy, I'm deeply disappointed in you," his father declared sternly. "Using your brother's office to engage in something illegal? We'll discuss your punishment at home. And you," he said, turning to Cameron, "do you realize you could lose your professional license for this? Extorting this woman and deceiving my son into stealing his brother’s seal?""Tch... what’s it to you, old man? You should just go back to the nursing home you escaped from.""Show some respect, lawyer. While my father may be retired, I can definitely ensure you’re banned from practicing law. Mary, call security.""Right away, boss," the secretary replied, reaching for her phone."Wait, I-I think this is just a misunderstanding," Cameron stammered, beginning to panic as the situation spiraled out of control."Now give me back that keychain you stole," Deborah demanded, extending her right hand."This wasn’t part of the deal.""The deal was illegal to begin with," Christian said, stepping into the room and s
"That idiot’s taking too long," Frederick grumbled as he paced back and forth in his cell. "He said everything would be ready before lunchtime.""He’s probably got diarrhea again, so that’s why he’s not here," Vanessa sighed.The police had placed them in adjoining cells, which was a small comfort, though it was obvious they were kept together so they could be more easily watched. Still, it was better than being thrown in with the general prison population."Tch… how long does it take to get a signature?" With each passing minute, Frederick felt time dragging on. He couldn’t understand why this was taking so long—he had always secured those kinds of signatures in seconds from his previous victims."Relax, love," Vanessa said optimistically. "He’ll be here soon with the good news. He’s probably just finalizing the paperwork to get us out of here.""You’re right, my love," Frederick sighed, finally stopping his pacing. "And once we’re out, we’ll figure out how to deal with those two
I don’t really care, but I suppose you two will need to find yourselves a new lawyer to deal with this mess,” the officer remarked nonchalantly. “Anyway, I’ve delivered the news, so you can go back to imagining your freedom,” he added, turning on his heel to leave them alone once again.Frederick and Vanessa were seething with anger. That cop had only come to humiliate them, mocking them with such grim news.“That bastard couldn’t even do that right?!” Frederick shouted, slamming his fists against the bars. “How hard could it have been to get the mute girl to sign? Damn it... I never should’ve trusted a fool like him.”“I told you we shouldn’t have trusted that idiot!”“Alright, alright, woman... I admit it was a mistake. But how did they find out?”“Forget that… We’ve got a bigger problem now.”“What?”“You told him about our plans yesterday. What if he spills everything to Detective Morgan about what we wanted to do to Deborah?”“Shut up. He knows better than to talk. It woul
One day before the trial, Christian was organizing his papers while explaining the plan to Deborah. They had heard that Frederick and Vanessa had found a new lawyer, so they wanted to be prepared for anything as they were unsure of what to expect from this new opponent.They were gathered at Deborah’s house, trying to make the most of their time to go over their strategy, even though it meant working on a Sunday.Though “working” was a loose term; their partners were busy in the kitchen, completing the meal. Jayden had mentioned he wanted hamburgers and fries drenched in various sauces for dinner.“And look, this is the evidence... well, you know, the forged orders and documents Frederick used to get Debbie’s grandpa and mom... uh, well...” Christian trailed off, making a face before glancing over to the shelf on the right, where they had placed the recovered keychain next to a photo of Deborah’s grandfather and mother.“Relax, son. It’s a terrible truth... but at least now my fath
Deborah smiled and nodded in agreement, reaching for her juice.“Come on, chubby, help me get the burgers onto the trays,” Caroline called.“Here you go, father-in-law, take this to the table,” Jayden said, handing him a bowl of fries.“Got it,” Nicholas replied with a grin, amused by the joy on his daughter’s face as she eyed the food.[Don’t forget the sauces, please,] Deborah requested.“Haha, that’s my grandson talking,” Nicholas teased, making Deborah blush.“Come on, don’t give them a hard time,” Jayden laughed, carrying a tray with the sauces.Caroline and Christian brought the burgers to the table, and soon everyone was eating.The five of them enjoyed a pleasant moment, chatting about the arrival of baby James and the nursery’s decorations.After the meal, Deborah fell asleep, and Jayden carried her to the bedroom for a more comfortable rest.“Alright, we’re going to follow Deborah’s example and head out,” Caroline said, taking her husband’s hand.“Thanks for coming
The big day had arrived. It was time to determine who was lying and who was the real victim in the Anderson family.The truth behind this mystery was the scandal of the moment, with all the news and media outlets closely watching the trial. After all, today would finally reveal how the third most powerful family in the city had suddenly fallen, only to reappear mysteriously as a wealthy family led by a pair of strangers.One particular couple, eager for the spotlight, planned to make the most of this grand stage. They were confident that after today, once they had crushed that stupid girl, they would have all the money in the world, and those fools who had rejected them at first would come crawling back, begging to become their partners and increase their fortune even more.At that very moment, Frederick and Vanessa were dressed in the clothes their new lawyer had provided—clothes they had specifically requested, as today was a celebration. Today would mark the end of their long ord
“That’s true, especially since James might get uncomfortable,” Caroline agreed.“Hey, don’t whisper secrets like this. Remember, everyone’s watching us,” Christian teased with a grin.“Shh, this is girl talk,” Caroline chided him playfully.Christian and Jayden exchanged amused glances, shaking their heads. It was true that several reporters had noticed Deborah’s presence in the courtroom and were paying close attention to her conversation. However, upon realizing the discussion revolved around motherhood, they lost interest in digging deeper.Suddenly, a buzz of excitement rippled through the room. The doors swung open, and the “Anderson couple” entered, dressed to the nines. Despite their handcuffs, they strutted in with the confidence of victors.Deborah’s eyes narrowed at their smug display, all her fears vanishing in an instant. These monsters were not, and never had been, her family. They were nothing more than murderers who destroyed her real family and kidnapped her for th