Part 102 # The Final Battle
For two days, Lara and her entourage spent their time in the old building owned by her mother. Now, with better preparation than before, she returned to court to attend the continuation of the trial.
The evidence obtained in the old building truly became a turning point in Lara’s case. This time, their lawyer could confidently win the lawsuit against their opponent!
“Mrs. Lara, please step forward to the witness stand,” called the judge, glaring sharply at her sitting anxiously on the long bench.
“You can do it, darling,” Andre said, holding Lara’s hand. The woman nodded while swallowing her saliva as she heard the call from the judge.
“Pray for me, okay,” she whispered to Andre, trying to calm her rapidly beating heart.
“Of course, you can do it,” Andre reassured her, raising his fist in the air to encourage his beloved. Lara nodded, then stood up and walked towards the witness stand in the crowded courtroom.
As she sat down, Lara looked around. Seno. Her ex-husband and opponent appeared angry across the room. Lara stared at him sharply, grinning. Of course, she didn’t smile. It was Lara’s first grin at her ex who had cruelly turned her world upside down.
“W-what does she think she’s doing?” Seno murmured softly, gripping his orange suit tightly. Earlier, he had exploded at his lawyer because their attempt to conquer Lara failed again for the umpteenth time. They also didn’t get any clues as to where the hired killers went? The gas pipe explosion on the side of the rice field road was quite disturbing, but they dared to investigate further.
It would be better if the assassination task failed, the traces leading to Seno and his lawyer would be erased in the blaze.
“You’re finished,” Lara’s lips moved, but Seno couldn’t read them because he wasn’t good at guessing people’s words. Seno really didn’t think that today’s trial was the end of everything. All of his crimes would be exposed, and thus, the real world’s hell would begin.
***
“Mrs. Lara,” said the judge with a calm but firm voice, “You are called as a witness in this trial. I hope you can provide honest and factual testimony.”
Lara swallowed hard for a moment before answering, “Yes, Your Honor.”
“Very well, let’s begin,” said the judge, turning to the prosecuting attorney to start the examination.
The prosecuting attorney rose from his seat with his notebook and walked towards Lara’s table. “Mrs. Lara,” he said with a calm yet sharp voice, “In your previous testimony, you revealed that Mr. Seno kidnapped and committed violence against you. However, that was actually a misunderstanding. Can you further explain what you know about his actions?”
“Yes, he has done evil to me and it was not a misunderstanding,” Lara replied, refusing to be intimidated by the prosecuting attorney like in previous trials. After taking a deep breath, Lara then shared her story about how Seno planned the kidnapping, violence, and even attempted murder on her.
“And… it didn’t just happen once,” Lara emphasized. However, the prosecuting attorney immediately objected. “Objection, Your Honor. There is no evidence related to her testimony.”
The prosecuting attorney continued the examination sharply, trying to doubt Lara’s testimony and weaken her position as a key witness. Every question was asked carefully, trying to find loopholes in Lara’s story. However, Lara remained calm and firm in answering every question asked.
But when the prosecuting attorney rejected the existence of evidence showing the truth of Lara’s testimony, the defense attorney stepped forward. With a calm yet confident face, he objected to the judge.
“Objection, Your Honor,” he said firmly. “We have new evidence that will confirm Mrs. Lara’s testimony.”
The judge looked sharply at the defense attorney. “What evidence are you referring to?”
The defense attorney calmly presented the new documents they obtained from their investigation. They handed over these pieces of evidence to the judge for review.
“These pieces of evidence show digital traces confirming Mr. Seno’s presence at the scene at the same time as stated by Sister Lara,” explained the defense attorney. “In addition, we also have CCTV footage showing acts of violence committed by Seno against our client and other evidence …”
The judge carefully examined the evidence, his face expressing admiration for the strength of the evidence presented by the defense attorney.
“These pieces of evidence are quite convincing,” the judge finally said. “The trial is adjourned for further review of the newly presented evidence.”
“W-what? How could this be?” Seno gaped as the CCTV footage of Mahya’s accident and the kidnapping at the hospital was replayed in the courtroom. The prosecuting attorney was also confused by this new evidence. How could the hospital CCTV footage be recovered? His client had checked that the recording had been destroyed.
“T-th-that’s not true!” Seno shouted. However, his lawyer tried to calm his client. Seno shouldn’t open his mouth wider, or their situation would become more cornered. “Calm down, Sir. I’ll handle it.”
The prosecuting attorney tried to respond quickly to the new evidence presented by the defense attorney. “Objection, Your Honor. This evidence is invalid because it was not submitted at the previous stage of the trial, and we did not have a chance to examine it beforehand.”
However, the judge wisely responded, “Prosecuting attorney, I understand your objection. However, as a dispenser of justice, I have a duty to ensure that all relevant evidence is considered in this trial. Because this evidence has the potential to change the course of the case, I must allow further review of it.”
Seno, who initially felt confident about the chance to get out of this case, now felt confused and anxious. The new pieces of evidence shattered his belief in an easy victory. He felt that he was increasingly trapped in the trap set by the opposing party.
Meanwhile, the defense attorney only smiled satisfactorily, showing that they had made thorough preparations and successfully revealed the truth that was previously hidden.
After hearing objections from both sides, the judge nodded firmly. “The trial is adjourned for further review of the newly presented evidence. I will instruct the authorities to conduct a detailed examination of the authenticity of this evidence.”
“Understood, Your Honor.”
Thus, the judge performed his duty as a dispenser of justice, ensuring that the legal process proceeded fairly and that all relevant evidence was carefully considered before making a final decision.Property © of NôvelDrama.Org.
“Oh, God! Finally!” Lara felt relieved to see the progress of her case. The new evidence she brought was truly useful. Tears of happiness flowed along with Lara’s sweet smile.
“Congratulations, darling,” Andre welcomed Lara as she got up from her seat. With a whisper full of love, he felt he had to give that statement so that Lara felt successful with all her efforts and perseverance.
“Thank you, Ndre. But, this is not over yet,” Lara wiped the corners of her watery eyes with a tissue. Although the trial was postponed for the final decision, now the truth was closer.
Lara’s side could breathe a sigh of relief with the new evidence they submitted. That meant they had given a greater chance of winning this case and revealing the truth that had been buried for so long.
With new hope spreading in their hearts, Lara and her team prepared to welcome the next stage in their struggle. Outside the courtroom, journalists were eagerly waiting. Seno’s case had indeed become a magnet for news hunters.
“Mrs. Lara, give your comment. How was the trial?” asked one of the reporters who suddenly directed the microphone at her. Lara looked nervous, but Andre calmly answered every question from the journalists as a spokesperson.
Lara’s lawyer also commented, and unexpectedly … the familiar faces of the journalists had been waiting for their entourage in the black van with the inscription ‘Channel Insight.’
Lara’s smile blossomed instantly.
“Hey!”