Chapter 58
Emily’s POV
The courtroom was heavy with tension as I entered, my heart pounding in my chest. Today was Frank’s trial, and I wasn’t sure how to feel. Vincent had asked me to testify, but I couldn’t do it.
I couldn’t bring myself to prosecute or provide evidence, even though Frank had hurt me in ways I never imagined. Despite everything, I couldn‘ t forget the beautiful moments we shared, the way he had made me feel cared for, even if it had all been a lie in the end.
The sentencing pained me. How could I reconcile the Frank I thought I knew with the man who had tried to destroy me? Wearing a large hat and sunglasses to conceal my identity, I slipped into the back of the courtroom, hoping to blend in.
Frank’s parents were there, as was his lawyer, sitting quietly at the front: Keith had also come, though I tried to avoid looking in his direction. My emotions were too raw to handle seeing him right now.
Vincent stood tall as he presented the evidence, his voice steady but firm. “These are the forged transfer documents, Your Honor,” he said, holding them up for the court to see. “Frank Williams used these to manipulate not just the financial system, but the people around him. He deceived everyone.”
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I listened to his words, but they felt distant, as if he were talking about.
someone else. How had we ended up here? How had Frank, the man I had once trusted with my heart, betrayed me so deeply?
The judge nodded as Vincent continued, calling up three officers as witnesses. Each of them recounted the investigation, confirming every detail of Frank’s actions. I should have felt relief, maybe even satisfaction, but all I felt was a dull ache. This man–Frank–had shared my life, had whispered sweet nothings into my ear, held my hand during the darkest moments. And now, he was being reduced to a criminal before my eyes.
As Nina was called to the stand, I shifted uncomfortably in my seat. Her hands trembled as she began to speak, her voice barely steady.
“Nina, can you tell the court what happened the day you and Emily were kidnapped?” Vincent asked, his tone softer with her.
Nina took a deep breath, glancing at me for a moment before nodding. “It was… terrifying,” she began, her voice shaking. “Frank orchestrated everything. He… he used us. Played with our lives like we were nothing. That fear, that helplessness–it’s something I can’t ever forget.” Her voice cracked, but she pushed on. “We trusted him, and he betrayed us in the worst way possible.”
Hearing her say it out loud, the reality of it all hit me again. Frank hadn’t just hurt me he had manipulated Nina, too. I glanced over at him, sitting silently at the defense table. His face was unreadable, and that made it worse. Did he feel any remorse at all?
“I know how hard this is for you, Nina. Thank you for sharing your story,”
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Vincent said gently before turning back to the judge.
The judge cleared his throat, the sound echoing through the quiet courtroom. “The court has reviewed the evidence and heard the
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testimonies. For the crime of forgery, Frank Williams is sentenced to two years in prison. For the crime of attempted murder, he is sentenced to fifteen years, with the possibility of parole.”
The gavel came down with a decisive crack, and it felt like the final blow to everything I had once known. My heart sank. I didn’t feel relief or closure just sadness.
This was the man I had loved, the man who had made me laugh, who had been my escape from the world. But now, he was being taken away, and all that remained were broken memories.
As I prepared to leave the courtroom, my head down and my emotions in turmoil, I bumped into someone. I looked up, startled, and there was Keith, standing in front of me. Even with my disguise, he recognized me immediately.
“Emily,” he said softly, reaching out to touch my arm. “You don’t have to hide from this.”
I tried to blink away the tears that had been threatening to spill since the trial began, but they fell anyway. Keith gently wiped one away, his touch unexpectedly tender. “You’re the strongest woman I know,” he whispered, his words cutting through the fog of my thoughts.
“I didn’t want anyone to see me here,” I admitted, my voice barely above a
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whisper.
Keith nodded, understanding in his eyes. “Let me drive you home,” he insisted, and though every part of me wanted to decline, I was too tired to argue. I followed him out to his car, grateful for his presence despite the complicated history between us.
As we got into the car, my gaze drifted toward Frank, who had just been escorted out of the courthouse in handcuffs. Our eyes met for the briefest moment before the police hurried him into a waiting vehicle. There was no emotion in his face–no regret, no remorse–just emptiness. And with that, I knew it was time to say goodbye.
Keith started the engine, and we drove in silence for a while, the weight. of everything that had happened hanging between us. I glanced out the window, watching the city pass by, but my mind was elsewhere.
Memories of Frank played on a loop in my head–the good, the bad, and everything in between. The warmth of his touch, the laughter we shared, the lies he spun, the fear he instilled.
“Do you want to talk about it?” Keith finally asked, breaking the silence.
I shook my head. “There’s nothing left to say. Frank’s gone now.
Keith sighed, keeping his eyes on the road.
“I should’ve seen the signs,” I murmured, more to myself than to Keith.
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Keith shook his head. “No one could have known. He hid his intentions.
well. But it’s over now. You’re free of him.”
A few minutes later, we pulled up in front of my house, and Keith turned off the engine. He looked at me for a long moment, as if trying to find the right words. “You don’t have to go through this alone,” he said softly.
I nodded, though I wasn’t sure if I believed him. “Thank you, Keith.”
I stepped out of the car and made my way toward the front door, the weight of the day still pressing heavily on my shoulders, each step feeling like a reminder of everything I had yet to heal from.
