Isabella~
"Veronica Luis, do you think you can save Xavier Thompson from a death sentence?" As soon as I exited my car in front of the courtroom, Derrick Merchant's taunting stopped me.
"Mr. Merchant, good morning." I turned to look at him with a smile.
This high-profile case had already caught the attention of the media and all of the town's lawyers. Everyone has been talking exclusively about this case on crime channels since last week.
"Miss Luis, I finally saw you today after hearing so much about you." With arrogance, he holds out his hand to me.
"It's my pleasure, sir." I give him a handshake.
"After losing this case, you are always welcome to join my law firm, along with all your clients." His conceit is overpowering his experience.
It is true that throughout his legal career, he never lost a single case, and even my father-in-law, who is a well-known attorney, was never able to defeat Derrick Merchant in court.
"Mr. Merchant, we are lawyers, and we do not have the authority to render a verdict; the judge rendered his decision within the courtroom. We can only argue and show the evidence." I looked into his eyes and replied in a calm tone.
When he heard my cool voice, he immediately withdrew his hand from the handshake, and his haughty smirk vanished.
"I believe you lack a thorough understanding of who I am. The judge only provides his verdict as per my will." When he sees my composed expression, he seems enraged.
He was expecting to see a scared, fearful, and insecure lawyer, but even though I was trying to hide my inner struggle, I gave him exactly the opposite impression.The most important day of my life makes me anxious, but it's not because I'm afraid of Derrick. This is not just a case to clear Xavier of the erroneous murder allegation; it is also affecting me personally.
In this case, I'm fighting for the man who years ago deceived me. I want to win this case so that I may conquer my delicate emotions, which have tried numerous times to make me defenseless. The main reason I'm fighting this case right now is to defeat Derrick Merchant, but I also want to fight for justice and solve the mysteries surrounding it.
My father-in-law used to tell me that he wanted to defeat Derrick Luis, and I used to tell him that when I became a lawyer, I would fulfill his dream. I must not only fight this case but also win it, which is why I have diligently gathered evidence to initially grant him bail.
The police van stopped and arrived in front of the courtroom, and Xavier came out of the van. His blue eyes met mine, revealing a mixture of confusion, fear, nervousness, and uncertainty, but the most noticeable emotion, one I had never seen in his eyes before, was concern for me. His behavior has changed significantly over the past several days, and as a result, I feel compelled to forgive him for his previous deeds and feel some pity for him.
"Bella, please don't do this; you still have time." He approached and mumbled.
"Let's go inside." I checked the time on my wristwatch and motioned for him to come inside the courtroom for the hearing.
Derrick Merchant, in all his glory, sat on the prosecution side while Xavier stood in the culprit box. When the judge arrived to take his seat and the court proceedings started, we stood in his honor. Mr. Merchant started the legal procedure by accusing Xavier of killing Alicia and asking that he be put to death.
"I object, my lord. The prosecution lacks any proof that my client, Mr. Thompson, murdered his spouse." I got up from my chair.
"My Lord, it appears that Miss Luis did not thoroughly study the case. That's why she is unaware of all the evidence against Xavier Thompson." When Derrick mocked me in front of the court, everyone in the room laughed.
"Exactly. My Lord, Mr. Prosecutor is right. I want to know what evidence he has that proves my client is a culprit." I didn't care if others made fun of me. I turned to face Derrick, composed.
"The weapon he used to stab her in the chest revealed his fingerprints. Everyone knows he doesn't have a good relationship with his wife; his office staff saw them arguing many times, and his neighbor saw him entering his own house through the window."
"So this all proves that my client is a murderer." I raised my brow at him.
"Of course, he is the only person responsible for her death. Xavier Thompson is the sole suspect in my client's case." I turned around and saw my stepmother sitting behind the prosecutor's seat.
"My lord, how can my respected prosecutor accuse my reputed client in such a harsh way when he doesn't have any valid proof?"
"Miss Luis, what do you mean by this? Don't you believe that this evidence provides validation? Are you here to argue the case or joke with us?" Everyone in court burst out laughing as they heard him taunt again.
I glanced at Xavier's face; he stood silently, bowing his head in shame.
"Look at this man. My lord—Xavier Thompson is a well-known criminal defense attorney. Why did he kill his wife in such a stupid way that it put him in jail?" When I spoke in a calm but firm tone, the entire courtroom became silent.
"Mr. Merchant, do you believe my client, who has spent his entire life in criminal cases, can enter his own home like a roadside thief to kill his wife?" My gaze fell on Derrick Merchant.
"What precisely do you want to express, Miss Luis?" The judge questioned me about my argument.
"My Lord, there is no denying that my client and his wife were not on good terms, but that doesn't mean that he murdered his wife. He argued with his wife the same day, so he went for a walk outside to relax. Upon his return, he found the door locked, necessitating a leap through the window to gain entry, as his wife typically shuts the door after a disagreement. However, it is important to note that my client was not in the room when the murder occurred.
Please refer to the postmortem report and the CCTV footage from a neighboring grocery store, which both explicitly state the exact times of the murder." I asked him to look at the CCTV tape.
When Derrick Merchant saw the CCTV tape, he appeared nervous. I glanced back at Xavier's face, blinking to reassure him.
"My lord, I would like to request that you grant bail to my client, allowing us to assist in identifying the true murderer, rather than wasting the court's valuable time by requesting the punishment of an innocent citizen." I returned to my seat and turned to face the prosecutor in anticipation of his next point.